Prince Alfred College accused in Federal Court of failing to protect boy, 14, from racist discrimination, slurs and monkey stickers on locker
A top private school told a boy who had been racially vilified for two years to “stand up for himself” instead of “being a victim” like AFL legend Adam Goodes, according to court papers.
An elite Adelaide private school told a boy who had been racially vilified for two years by 13 of its students to “stand up for himself” instead of “being a victim like” AFL legend Adam Goodes, a court has heard.
The rising-star basketballer and his family – who have played the sport at an elite global level, including the NBA – have filed a human rights claim against Prince Alfred College, one of the nation’s top private schools.
In their Federal Court documents, they allege the college did not protect the boy, then 14, from the slurs of his classmates nor when his locker was defaced with monkey stickers.
Instead, the documents allege, college staff claimed the boy had given his peers “a pass to use” the n-word “in reference to him”.
The claim names 13 boys as alleged perpetrators and asserts a senior staff member and a teacher “unlawfully engaged in racial discrimination”.
It is further alleged that, when the family complained, the senior staffer offered to appoint the boy “leader of cultural awareness” and defer his tuition fees “while the matter is resolved”.
When the family expressed dissatisfaction with that, the senior staff member allegedly conceded the college had “dropped the ball” and agreed “more should have been done”.
He then allegedly told the boy’s mother he admired her ‘calmness’ given the circumstances.
THE LOCKER INCIDENT
The history of the allegations is laid out in the family’s 46-page application to the Australian Human Rights Commission, which is included in its Federal Court filing.
It asks the Commission order the college to apologise to and compensate the boy, declare that it committed unlawful discrimination and direct it not repeat the behaviour.
In their application, the family alleges the boy attended Prince Alfred in the early 2020s for two years.
During this time he was, they allege, “subjected to bullying and harassment by other students making racial slurs toward him” because of his race.
“The racial comments were commonly made by the students to (the boy) in passing when he would walk in the yard, between classes, or during lunch and recess,” they allege.
“When the racial comments were made, (he) would turn to face the students – however, most of the students would act as if nothing happened.
“He often felt embarrassed and intimidated by the group of students.
“The bullying and harassment also included an incident where monkey stickers were placed across his locker whilst he was at home on a school day, being unwell.”
‘CHIDED’ ABOUT HIS HAIR
They allege the boy “felt he could not speak to his teachers” about the situation “as he felt he was not welcomed by some of the teachers”.
“(He) was often questioned about his hair not meeting the school standard despite him keeping his hair neat and tidy in accordance with PAC’s expectations,” they allege.
“(The teacher) treated (the boy) differently because of his race and colour in circumstances where he spoke to him about his hair, which was an issue for PAC.
“He took (the boy) aside to chide him about his hair not meeting the school expectations (and) would even meet (him) at his locker with other children present and question him about his hair.
“(The teacher) failed to address the locker incident (with the stickers) appropriately and support (the boy) in any way.”
They allege the boy became withdrawn, isolated and anxious, and feigned illness in order to miss both classes and sports practices.
They further allege his parents became aware of the situation when the teacher called them to relay details of “the locker incident”.
“During the course of the telephone discussion, (the teacher) expressed his outrage over the incident,” they allege.
“He assured (the family) it was ‘being taken seriously’ by the college and that they would ‘get to the bottom of it’, and promised that an investigation of the incident would be made.
“The family was never informed about what action had been taken by the college, nor was (the boy) spoken to and provided with support by the college about the locker incident.”
‘DROPPED THE BALL’
The documents allege the boy subsequently confided in his family about his experiences, and they decided to remove him from the college.
They allege that prompted a meeting with the senior staff member, who said an investigation “had been commenced”.
“(He) informed (the boy’s mother) that he had a conversation with another parent and was advised that some of the students on the team claimed he had given them a ‘pass’ to use the word ‘n-----’ in reference to him,” they allege.
“He proposed that the best way forward for (the boy) was to ‘stand up for himself’ and show others that it is possible for him to rise above racism and prejudice, instead of being a victim like Adam Goodes.
“Additionally, he proposed that (the boy) be made a ‘leader of cultural awareness’ at PAC and that he would be supported by (the senior staff member) in becoming the face of ‘cultural change’ at PAC.
“(The boy’s mother) advised she was entirely dissatisfied with the proposals provided by (the senior staffer) and advised (the family) had lost their faith in PAC.
“(He) advised (the mother) that the school had ‘dropped the ball’ and agreed that ‘more should have been done’.
“He advised the family would not be charged with tuition fees until the matter had been resolved and that he admired them for their ‘calmness’ given the circumstances.”
The boy was subsequently removed from PAC by his family, and now attends a different school.
‘TREATED DIFFERENTLY’
In their documents, the family alleges the school failed both the duty of care it owed to the boy and its own anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies.
It notes PAC’s well-publicised history of supporting transgender student Alice Copping and Indigenous students, and its 2017 suspensions of two boys for “unacceptable behaviour”.
“By the college’s acceptance and support provided to (Miss Copping), (the teacher) treated (the boy) differently by not providing him the support he required,” it alleges.
“By the college’s support to another minority student’s cohort, (the teacher) treated (the boy) differently.
“(The senior staffer) treated (the boy) differently because of his race and colour in circumstances where he downplayed the incidents and proposed the best way forward was to ‘stand up’ for himself … instead of being a victim like Adam Goodes.
“(The boy) should be free from discrimination irrespective of his race and colour … his human rights were nullified or impaired … he was not protected against bullying, harassment and racial abuse.”
‘FACILE SUGGESTION’
On October 7, 2025, the Human Rights Commission determined there was “no reasonable prospect” of the case “being settled by conciliation”.
It then moved to the Federal Court, where the family repeated its allegations – including the list of the 13 students accused of racist behaviour – and expanded upon them in its documents.
“The analogy drawn by (the senior staffer) as to how (the boy) should respond exemplified the complete lack of empathy or understanding of those impacted upon by racist and demeaning conduct toward them,” they allege.
“(His) facile suggestion that a teenage boy make a stand against racism as did Adam Goodes – a grown man and an icon of the AFL – failed to grasp the detriment to (the boy’s) mental health that such a stand in an all-male and predominantly white student cohort would have on him.”
The college, it alleges, engaged in or permitted “culturally harmful conduct” to occur and had “inadequate systems” in place for dealing with “racist culture” on its grounds.
It repeats its request for an award of damages, saying the boy’s physical and mental wellbeing, education and future sporting prospects have been negatively impacted.
Prince Alfred College has yet to file defence papers, and did not return calls for comment by deadline.
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Originally published as Prince Alfred College accused in Federal Court of failing to protect boy, 14, from racist discrimination, slurs and monkey stickers on locker
