Peninsula Grammar boys expelled in porn hack scandal

Two private school boys are fighting their expulsion for hacking into a computer at a local gym and logging into a porn site so they could film the receptionist’s reaction.

Two Year 10 students from Peninsula Grammar have been expelled over the incident.

Two Victorian families are fighting the decision of a leading Victorian private school to expel their sons for accessing a pornographic website on a Mornington gym’s computer then videoing a female staff member’s reaction.

The Year 10 students at Peninsula Grammar have been devastated by being asked to leave the school as a result of the incident, which took place on Friday April 12.

Their families say they were denied procedural fairness, are genuinely sorry and should be given a second chance.

But the school is standing by its decision, insisting in a letter to parents that “the mistreatment of our young people, particularly the young women in our school and community, cannot, nor should not, be excused”.

The Year 10 students are devastated after being asked to leave the school.

The boys have the support of 200 community members who signed a petition calling for them to be able to return to the school, but the school has also been congratulated for its stand by many others.

The boys accessed the gym’s computer while the staff member was on a break, then waited for her to come back and filmed her reaction on their phones. They also did not leave the gym immediately when asked to do so.

The gym owner reviewed CCTV footage on Monday April 15 and then informed the school and the police.

It’s understood that the boys, who did not have any history of disciplinary issues, did not share the video beyond the three of them and it has now been deleted.

In 2017, the same school accidentally sent its students a link to a pornography website while promoting an annual breakfast event.

The issue was handled very differently at Padua College in Mornington, with a third student involved allowed to stay at the school.

Kelly McGurn, principal of Padua College, said the school was “deeply disappointed by this behaviour and have taken appropriate action”.

“After investigating the matter, a restorative justice process was undertaken, in line with our robust policies and procedures,” she said.

The Herald Sun has spoken to the gym’s owner, who asked for his business not to be identified out of respect for the female worker involved.

“Obviously, everything they did that day was the wrong choice. Younger boys do make mistakes and I think it’s important that they learn there are consequences,” he said.

“It’s up to the parents and the school to guide them. I wasn’t trying to get them expelled but to teach them a lesson.”

The gym owner said the boys had apologised.

“The two boys from Peninsula came in and said sorry and they seemed genuinely remorseful,” he said.

The boys also bought a gift and card for the female staff member and apologised to her.

The parents of the boys believe their sons had learnt a tough lesson and deserved a second chance.

The boys involved bought the female staff member a gift and card and apologised to her after the incident.

They have argued that the decision occurred outside of school hours, the boys were not in school uniform, and their actions did not affect any members of the school community.

They believe the expulsions denied their sons natural justice, and are concerned that the school did not properly investigate the matter or have an appeals process.

The school cannot comment on the issue, but principal Stuart Johnston sent a letter to school parents on May 2 referring to the incident.

It stated that he had recently “terminated the enrolment of students whose conduct has proven to be fundamentally misaligned to the values by which we are governed, and in so being have brought the School into disrepute”.

“It is our absolute duty as a coeducational school, to ensure that the standards we live by are upheld, and that the values we espouse are embodied by all. To do anything less would be to accept the demeaning of women, or the destruction of property as acceptable,” the letter said.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed the matter had been reported, but said no offence had been committed and there was no investigation.

Mr Johnston is retiring from the Peninsula Grammar, which used to be known as The Peninsula School, at the end of the year.

The school’s treatment of staff during Covid was widely criticised, with dozens of non-teaching staff stood down. After legal action from the union, the school was forced to pay the wages of four of them.

The school was also found guilty in the Federal Circuit Court of “unconscionable conduct” over its failure to adhere to fee discounts of $300,000 offered to a senior teacher.