Brighton Grammar historic sex abuse allegations: A dozens ex-students come forward

Historic allegations from former students at Brighton Grammar include a teacher watching boys shower naked after sports class.

Brighton Grammar has been accused of having a cover-up culture.

A dozen former Brighton Grammar students have come forward alleging historic sexual and physical abuse, with claims a teacher watched on after forcing boys to shower naked.

The Herald Sun last month exclusively revealed two former students were suing the elite all boys’ school alleging they were sexually or physically abused by different teachers between the 1960s and 1980s.

Other ex-students have since contacted the Herald Sun about their own experiences of alleged abuse, with some saying there was a cover-up culture at the school.

Several former students claim a teacher at the school used to stand in the changerooms and watch boys shower after sports class.

“He would stand in the shower block, make sure we were all naked and watch us shower,” a former schoolboy said.

“If you dared get in with underwear on he would make you remove them.”

Another former student Cam alleges a teacher physically abused him on a school camp in Labertouche in Gippsland in the late 1970s.

Cam, who did want to use his last name, told the Herald Sun he was in year seven and new to the school when the alleged abuse took place.

He alleges the teacher threw him a pack of cigarettes and encouraged him to smoke to “fit in” with the other boys.

Past students say a teacher watched them shower naked.

Cam, now aged in his 50s, had never smoked before and threw up after trying one.

He alleges the teacher followed him back to a room and rubbed his back.

The former student said he felt uncomfortable and ran out of the room past the teacher, who had tried blocking the doorway.

The following day, Cam said he was “bashed” by the teacher for having his hands in his pockets as he left the cabin.

“He picked me up, threw me to the ground and punched me in the stomach,” he said.

Cam alleges another teacher witnessed the physical abuse but did not intervene.

Cam refused to go on camp again and believes the school knew about the teacher’s propensity for abuse.

“He was clearly unhinged,” he said.

“This school was aware of this freak.”

A former student last month filed a lawsuit against the school, alleging teacher Bob Barrow asked him to touch his genitalia over his clothing on the same camp in the 1980s.

“The defendant (the school) knew, or ought to have known, that Barrow was a risk to the welfare of children and/or had a propensity to abuse children,” court documents state.

In a separate lawsuit, another former schoolboy alleges he was a victim of violent corporal punishment at the hands of multiple teachers and the principal in the 1960s and 70s.

He claims former principal Robert Rofe caned him on more than 25 occasions in one year for “little or no reason”.

Arnold Thomas & Becker lawyer Angela Di Carluccio, whose firm is representing both former students, said the influx of witnesses and victims shows evidence of a “serious culture problem” at the time at the school.

“All of these allegations appear to show that the culture at Brighton Grammar School was rife with violence and excessive physical punishment,” she said.

“The fact that the principal was a main perpetrator of this abuse is a clear indication that he made no effort to ensure a culture that prioritised the safety of children.

“It was well known among students that some teachers and the principal of the school were abusive, and there was no mechanism to report such abuse.”

Arnold Thomas & Becker are encouraging other former students who experienced abuse to come forward.

Brighton Grammar declined to comment.

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