‘Nazi’ scandal rocks elite Sydney private school

The head of Sydney Church of England Grammar School has unreservedly apologised for an “insensitive, offensive’’ photograph.

Year 12 students posing with a Nazi flag

The head of the exclusive Sydney Church of England Grammar School has apologised unreservedly after an “insensitive and offensive’’ picture surfaced showing the deputy headmaster standing with a group of students in front of a swastika-emblazoned Nazi flag.

Headmaster Timothy Wright wrote to parents and the north shore community after being contacted by The Daily Telegraph, which brought his attention to a photograph taken last year.

In the letter, he writes: “In my investigations, I am ­con­vinced this was an ill-­conceived prank and a display of very poor judgment by those caught up in the euphoria of the end of school.’’ The image is “clearly insensitive and offensive and in no way consistent with the values’’ shared by deputy Rod Morrison or the school, he writes.

Apologising unreservedly, Dr Wright says he wishes to “convey a serious error of judgment which has been brought to my attention over the last 24 hours’’.

He says the school’s 2016 graduates took photos during their final lessons last year: “It would appear that one image taken at the last history ­lesson after the conclusion of their studies, which included the ­Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany, was extremely insensitive and incredibly foolish.”

The image shows a group of boys who “urged their teacher’’ Mr Morrison into the photo. “The boys then unfurled a Nazi flag and saluted at the camera,’’ Dr Wright says. “As soon as Mr Morrison ­realised what had happened, he made it clear that the photograph was completely inappropriate.’’

Mr Morrison does not appear to be saluting in the photograph.

The My School website shows fees, charges and parent contributions at Shore were more than $23,000 in 2015.