Former Lara Secondary College teacher Trung Nguyen convicted over child sex offences
A former state secondary educator, who taught at Lara Secondary College and Staughton College, has been banned from teaching after committing a series of child sex offences.
Education
Don't miss out on the headlines from Education. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A former state secondary educator has been banned from teaching after committing a series of child sex offences.
Trung Nguyen, 50, who previously taught at Lara Secondary College until 2021, was recently convicted and sentenced to a 18-month community corrections order after he was charged with sexual assault of a child under 16, among other offences.
Nguyen taught at Staughton College and Bairnsdale College between 2013 to 2015.
A Department of Education spokesman said the charges against Mr Nguyen did not relate to any current or former student from Lara Secondary College.
“Trung Nguyen has not worked at a Victorian school since his registration was suspended in September 2021,” the spokesman said.
Nguyen was sentenced in the County Court in late June in relation to three charges, including sexual assault of a child aged 16 under care, supervision or authority.
The Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) cancelled Nguyen’s teaching registration following the hearing, which means he is disqualified from teaching in a school.
In a letter to families, Lara Secondary College said it had worked with the Department of Education to review all of its child safe policies and procedures as a precaution.
“This has resulted in minor changes and tweaks to our current practice as we had recently reviewed all policies as part of our school review,” the school said.
“The Department has confirmed that we are compliant with all of the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) minimum standards, including all of the child safe standards.
“I would like to reiterate that there has been no indication that Mr Nguyen committed any offences towards Lara Secondary College students or on school grounds.
“It is a timely reminder that if anyone ever has child safety concerns they should raise them, in the first instance.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, Nguyen taught maths and science after completing a Graduate Diploma in Education at Victoria University in 2012.
His profile said he also completed a Doctor of Philosophy and two engineering degrees.
If a person makes an application to the VIT for registration or renewal, it must refuse the application if the person is currently charged or has been convicted or found guilty of a “category A offence”.
These offences include, but are not limited to, sexual offences where the person was an adult and the person against whom the offence was committed was a child, as well as child abuse material offences where the person was an adult.
A teacher’s registration can be suspended on an interim basis if the VIT has formed a reasonable belief that the teacher poses an unacceptable risk of harm to children.
Under these arrangements, the VIT is required to review the basis of the interim suspension every 30 days.
Revealed: The top schools to nab $100k+ STEM jobs straight out of uni
Want to set up your child’s future? Here’s the top thing they should study – and the best schools in the nation for teaching it.
Read more
Melb Catholic school pulls anti-bullying program over gay fears
St Thomas More’s School in Mount Eliza has cancelled its anti-bullying workshops after backlash from a small group of parents about gay indoctrination.
Read more