Abuse Royal Commission: bullying victim’s folks chased for school fees

A Sydney school pressured the parents of a student who was being bullied to pay fee arrears or face a debt collector.

A prestigious Sydney private school pressured the parents of a student who was being bullied to pay outstanding fees or face a debt collector, the abuse royal commission has heard.

The principal of The King’s School, Timothy Hawkes, faced the child sex abuse inquiry in Sydney yesterday over the school’s handling of an incident at a cadet camp in 2013 where a boy ejaculated onto a student’s sleeping bag. After the camp, the student, referred to as CLC, was bullied relentlessly by students who called him “cum rag” and “cum dumpster”, the commission heard. Some months into CLC’s suffering, his parents raised concerns with the school over what they felt was a failure to support their son after he had made allegations of bullying, harassment and sexual assault, counsel assisting David Lloyd said.

“I was not aware of the sexual assault (allegation),” Dr Hawkes said. At the same time as the parents raised their concerns, the school contacted them about outstanding fees of $25,000, the commission heard. Mr Lloyd recounted Dr Hawkes’ email to the school bursar saying CLC’s father should not be allowed to merge the two matters of bullying and non-payment of fees.

“He is a bad debtor and failure to pay his debts should result in the usual sanction including the boy being sent home and him being put in the hands of a collection agent,” Mr Lloyd read.

“Correct,” Dr Hawkes said.

Commissioner Peter McClellan asked if it was understandable that a parent would connect what they saw as a failure in the school’s duty of care with the obligation to pay fees. Dr Hawkes said the school had taken principled and immediate action when it heard of the bullying.

AAP