Former St Kevin’s student sets blazer alight to protest ‘hyper-masculine culture’ in schools

A former St Kevin’s student and artist has set his old blazer alight on the school’s oval to highlight historical allegations of misogyny and homophobia at the private boys’ school.

In an Instagram post sharing images of the protest that has been seen by tens of thousands of people, photographer James Robinson, 26, admitted breaking into the school grounds on Tuesday evening after something in him “snapped”.

James Robinson’s blazer burning on the St Kevin’s school grounds in protest.Credit: James Robinson

He dedicated the photos of the burning blazer to “current students and victims of St Kevin’s, and schools like it, who feel their identity is slowly being chipped away by a hyper-masculine culture”.

“I see you, I was you,” the caption read.

“This protest takes my healing full circle. I burn my blazer not in anger, but in hope for regeneration. I kiss my partner not in spite, but to bring love back to the only place that ever taught me shame.”

The photographer, who usually works in New York and Los Angeles, said he felt compelled to act after allegations that Collingwood star Jordan De Goey – a contemporary of Mr Robinson at St Kevin’s – had forcibly touched a woman and assaulted a man on a New York dance floor were made public.

Mr Robinson, who has forged a successful career as a fashion and celebrity photographer in the US, told The Age he felt “the patriarchy and culture” at St Kevin’s had reached beyond Melbourne into New York; a place he regarded as a safe space for himself and the queer community.

The police charges against De Goey relating to the woman were later dropped, but charges that he assaulted and harassed the man remain.

“St Kevin’s is a bubble where privileged young men can rehearse oppression without consequence, before graduating with flying colours into public. A place where “locker room talk” exists openly in hallways and classrooms,” Mr Robinson wrote.

“I saw a system designed to let young boys think they can do anything ... and get away with it.”

Mr Robinson went on to detail serious allegations of revenge porn, bullying, and bribery at the school. He said he reached out to the former principal of St Kevin’s in 2019 but was dismissed.

He said teachers during his time at the prestigious boys’ school caused him to feel shame about his sexuality. He recalled an instance where fellow students tricked him into coming out as gay online at the age of 15, then bullied him relentlessly without consequences.

“It took me just growing a little bit older ... to actually fully reflect on exactly how deeply the toxic shame that was embedded in that school has affected me and my personality,” he said.

The burning of his school blazer symbolised the destruction of this part of his adolescence and a resurgence from the ashes.

Mr Robinson, who has an online following of almost 37,000 people, said his inbox had been flooded with similar stories and messages of support from other students.

James Robinson kissing his partner Vishnu Hazell on the school grounds.

In a letter addressed to parents and students on Thursday morning, principal Deborah Barker said she had taken immediate steps to reach out to Mr Robinson, who had agreed to meet in person.

“I genuinely want to listen to, and fully understand, his heartfelt concerns and his personal journey. Most importantly, I want James to know that we care for him and acknowledge his courage for speaking out,” Ms Barker wrote.

She thanked current and former students who had posted messages of support for Mr Robinson. She urged them to reach out to their teachers and the school’s psychologists if they needed support.

“St Kevin’s College is on a journey of culture renewal, with a focus on inclusion and welcome for all. There is much goodness in our College, and yet we still have much to do,” Ms Barker said.

An assessment on the culture at the private boys’ school in July found misogynistic language and sexist behaviour continued 18 months after the issue blew up in public.

The report came after an incident in which students from St Kevin’s were filmed singing a sexist chant on public transport and Four Corners revelations former principal Stephen Russell and a former dean of sport gave post-conviction character references for a child sex offender, a St Kevin’s old boy who had been coaching at the school for four decades but was privately training students attached to a St Kevin’s amateur athletics club at the time of his arrest.

It found many female staff did not believe it had a culture that supported respect for women or other genders, and that there was “still a lot of hurt” in the school community.

Ms Barker, the school’s first female principal, said the report was painful reading, and it was up to the school to build trust and transparency.

“It has become clear in my first year, of the importance of listening deeply as we strive to deliver a safe and inclusive environment for all of our students in partnership with their families,” she said.

Mr Robinson said he was thrilled to see a woman at the helm of the school, but the culture issues plaguing Australian private schools extended beyond St Kevin’s.

He said the core of the issue was the school’s reliance on profit, which led to principals and boards putting the reputation of the institution ahead of the safety of students like himself.

With Wendy Tuohy

Clarification: this story originally stated that a sex offender coached students at St Kevin’s. The story has been amended to reflect that while the offender had been involved with the school for several decades, at the time of his arrest he was privately training students attached to St Kevin’s amateur athletics club.

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