Xavier sacks beloved teacher on eve of VCE exams over ‘marking irregularities’

The sacking of a much-loved Latin teacher just two months out from VCE exams has caused an uproar at the elite boys’ school.

Xavier College, Kew. Picture: Mark Stewart

A much-loved VCE teacher at one of Victoria’s most elite private schools has been sacked following accusations of “marking irregularities” two months before the start of final exams.

Xavier College Latin teacher Andrew Murphy, who has been at the school for 22 years, was fired this month, causing “uproar” among students, old boys and staff.

The Independent Education Union is pursuing an unfair dismissal claim in the Fair Work Commission, believing his role as a health and safety rep for staff put him in the firing line.

It’s understood this view is strongly rejected by the school, which is expected to argue before the commission that it followed a lengthy due process before terminating Mr Murphy.

Mr Murphy, who had also been a union representative for more than ten years, was pushing for Xavier principal William Doherty to release a controversial report into the leading Kew boys’ school’s English Department.

Less than 300 students across the state study Latin, but it is highly prized because it is one of the most highly scaled subjects, with a score of 35 bumped up to 50 because of the difficulty of the work.

Mr Murphy has taught at Xavier for the past 22 years. Picture: Mark Stewart

A letter to Mr Murphy from Mr Doherty confirming his termination refers to “suspected misrepresentations and irregularities” in year 12 SAC (school assessed coursework) marking.

It notes a “lack of care and accuracy in your core professional teaching responsibilities to your students, most specifically highlighted in your performance with your current year 12 VCE Latin class”.

The letter states the termination is due to “poor engagement with fair processes, poor communication with colleagues in management roles, and lack of reflection on the current issues at hand”. It also mentions prior warnings.

Xavier College undertook an investigation into its English Department after complaints from staff about the performance of senior staff. Mr Murphy, in his role as a health and safety rep at the school, was trying to get a report from the review released to staff.

“He was like a dog with a bone trying to get access to the report,” one source said.

Parents and boy’s at the school are in an uproar over Mr Murphy’s departure. Picture: Mark Stewart

The Herald Sun understands a WorkSafe provisional improvement notice was issued, compelling the report to be shown, but Mr Murphy was not happy with the conditions imposed by the school.

The source said Mr Murphy “has marked the same way without any issue for 22 years. His sacking is complete rubbish.”

It’s understood the state of Mr Murphy’s “messy” desk was also raised by the school.

“Andrew Murphy has a lot of support – there has been an uproar,” the source said.

A spokesman for the Independent Education Union said the organisation “completely opposes Xavier’s decision to sack Mr Murphy”.

“It’s not hard to put two and two together here – a long-serving teacher and union rep was elected to the role of Health and Safety Rep, started pushing for internal transparency and was almost immediately put on a formal conduct management process based on ‘concerns’ such as having a messy desk,” he said.

“Elected Health and Safety Reps have legislated powers, and no employer should punish them for using them or seek to brush worker health and safety issues under the carpet.”

Xavier College declined to comment due to privacy concerns.