A former teacher is accused of sexually abusing and assaulting a teenage girl he taught at a school in Melbourne’s inner north more than two decades ago.
Former families at Sydney Road Community School were sent a letter, seen by The Age, from the Education Department about John Anthony Rogers in February this year.
John Anthony Rogers in 1988.Credit: Facebook
“I’m writing to you as a former family of Sydney Road Community School, to let you know that a former employee of the school, Tony Rogers, has recently been charged with serious child sexual offences relating to a former student. The matter is currently before the courts,” Education Department executive director Jonathon Lowe wrote.
The letter shared with former members of the school community said Rogers, who goes by Tony, worked at the school from the late 1980s to the mid-2000s. After several years away from the school he returned as an education support worker, but the role ended in 2024, according to the letter.
Rogers appeared at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday for a committal mention hearing.
Court documents reveal he is charged with two dozen offences, including multiple counts of indecent assault and sexual penetration of a 16-year-old child, some of which took place while she was under his care.
The 24 offences allegedly took place between April and December 1999, and took place at Brunswick, Wangaratta and Port Melbourne.
The now 79-year-old’s defence lawyer told magistrate Stephen Ballek they were seeking an eight-week adjournment for the case. It was in relation to a discontinuance application, the lawyer for the Parkville man told the court.
It was not aired in court whether any of the alleged offences took place at the school.
In the letter to former families of students at the school, Lowe wrote: “Given the nature of these charges, and how long Tony has worked at the school, I felt it was important to inform you about this.”
The letter also details that Rogers is unable to work at any Victorian government school as a result of the charges.
“I wanted to express how sorry I am to be sending you this deeply troubling news, but also take the opportunity to commend any person who bravely speaks up about their experiences,” the letter reads.
The court hearing was adjourned, and Rogers is expected to return to court in June.
The Victorian Institute of Teaching confirmed Rogers is no longer registered as a teacher, but could not disclose when he ceased to be registered.
An Education Department spokesman said: “No one should suffer the harrowing, lifelong and devastating impacts of abuse. We continue to encourage anyone who has experienced any form of abuse as a current or former student at a Victorian government school to report it to both the Department of Education and Victoria Police so action can be taken to hold perpetrators to account, and victims can access the support they need and deserve.”
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