Trinity Grammar in turmoil over student haircut gone wrong

IT WAS a simple act that caused absolute uproar. Days after a Melbourne deputy headmaster chopped a student’s hair, the school is in disarray.

DAYS after Rohan Brown took a pair of scissors to a student’s hair, prestigious Melbourne private school Trinity Grammar is imploding.

The deputy headmaster was sacked for the school photo day stunt, a dismissal that’s caused outrage and prompted calls for the entire school board — including its principal — to be let go.

Mr Brown, a teacher at the school for 30 years, found himself in hot water on Thursday when he deemed a male student’s hair was too long.

He took action in line with the school’s strict uniform and grooming guidelines. But while the student took the haircut well — and was reportedly unfazed — it didn’t go down well with Trinity Grammar.

School Council chairman Roderick Lyle wrote to parents on Friday saying the action was “in contravention of school policy and was also inconsistent with community expectations in this day and age”.

Since then, the community has clearly taken sides. Rather than turn the blowtorch on Mr Brown, students, teachers, former council leaders and even the Old Boys’ Association have rallied around one of their favourite sons.

A change.org petition has started and been signed by almost 5000 people. It asks the school to “bring Brownie back”.

“Without Brown, the school will fall apart,” one commenter wrote.

“The school will go into chaos without him,” another wrote, and that’s exactly what’s happened.

The Age reports parents at the school wrote a scathing letter on Sunday night demanding Mr Brown be immediately reinstated and declaring the only way forward is an immediate reversing of the decision.

“The manner in which council has conducted itself, particularly the chairman of the council, is such that the school community has lost confidence in the council,” the letter said.

A change.org petition to reinstate the school’s deputy headmaster has been signed more than 4700 times.

Rohan Brown is a much-loved member of the Trinity Grammar community.

“The current crisis affecting the students, parents, teachers and which undermines the standing of the school council, could be solved by reinstating Rohan Brown’s employment immediately.”

Two former council chairmen, Neil Williams and Murray Verso, also issued a joint statement on Sunday. Through the Concerned TGS community Facebook page, the pair wrote that Mr Brown’s sacking was the culmination of months of bigger issues.

“Last week’s sacking of Trinity’s much admired deputy headmaster, Rohan Brown, is symptomatic of broader issues occurring at the school,” they wrote.

“For several months now, the school council has been bombarded with emails and letters expressing concerns about the direction of the school such as its current preoccupation with academic excellence at the expense of the more holistic offering that Trinity was known.

“This change in emphasis has left students and staff feeling pressurised and led to a massive staff turnover over the past four years.

“The council members have not responded in any meaningful way to these concerns. They have not entered into reasonable dialogue with concerned individuals, but instead, they have closed ranks and tried to tough it out, in the erroneous belief that their vision for the school is the correct one. They are viewed as remote and detached from the school community.”

Mr Brown told the Herald Sun he hoped he could return, expressing his support for his students.

“For almost 30 years I’ve tried to give as much as I can to the school and I’d like to keep going,” he said

“I do very much love the school and I bleed green and gold.

“I sincerely hope the boys are not affected by it and I’m hoping to see them and the staff soon — I’d like to still support them.

“The boys are more important than this.”

Students at the school are planning a strike on Tuesday with the support of parents. The issue is expected to be discussed at a special meeting at the school on Tuesday night where a proposal to sack the current headmaster and all members of the school council is expected to be heard.

News.com.au has approached Trinity Grammar for comment.