Staff at St Kevin’s College claim school still has ‘toxic’ culture

Several teachers at St Kevin’s College say a toxic and misogynistic culture still exists within the school, with claims of offensive comments, issues at a school camp and bullying.

Staff at an elite boys’ college have once again accused the school of having a “toxic” and “misogynistic” culture, with several concerning incidents reported by teachers.

A number of educators within St Kevin’s College have told the Herald Sun at least two staff members have quit within the past year because their complaints about harassment and bullying were not dealt with by leadership.

Other issues of concern include an inappropriate comment made by a staff member about burning sausages “like the Holocaust” at a school barbecue and the sidelining of same-sex attracted staff.

Female staff also said they were “forced” to attend outdoor education camps, which involve several days in the bush.

“Male staff members have told women to simply go on the pill to skip a period, it’s not good enough,” one source said.

Meanwhile, another source said female staff at the school’s year 9 campus who asked for support and help with disciplining students were told they were the issue, not the pupils.

A St Kevin’s College spokesman said the school was working to positively shift the culture of the school. Picture: AAP

“All of the leadership positions in the middle school are now held by men, mostly from one teaching department. It is a real boys club,” they said.

Sources also said VCE class sizes were increasing due to recruitment and retention issues, which consequently “increased the workload of staff”.

According to the school’s careers page, it’s currently looking for a VCE English teacher and a VCE product design and technology assistant, with a number of other teaching and administration roles also being advertised.

The complaints from teachers come less than four months after the Herald Sun revealed parents were concerned little was being done to resolve the school’s “misogynistic” culture, following a spate of sexist and transphobic student attacks on teachers.

A spokesman for St Kevin’s College said the school “employs more than 500 staff and is proud of its continued high retention rate. This is a strong reflection of the stability and commitment of our staff and executive leadership.

“Any issues that arise at the College are managed according to best workplace practice and the law. Confidentiality around any alleged behaviours is our priority and commentary will not be made,” he said.

“The St Kevin’s College Board is extremely grateful for the support of our teachers and staff in working with us to positively shift the culture of the school. Our work is showing pleasing signs of progress but there is still more to be done. We do acknowledge that some people have been uncomfortable with this change.”

In 2021, a Nous Review of the school found evidence of a continuing “toxic” and “misogynistic” culture, with both staff and students reporting misogynistic language and sexist behaviour.

A year later, a cultural survey initiated by the school’s leaders found 13 per cent of staff reported that they don’t feel safe at work.