Melbourne principal drags student: support grows for Steve Warner

Parents have thrown their support behind Steve Warner, who was stood down after video emerged which appears to show him dragging a student.

Parents and community members are throwing their support behind principal Steve Warner, who was stood down after video emerged of him apparently dragging a nine-year-old student across the grounds of a school in Melbourne’s west.

Education Minister James Merlino stood down the principal of the prep-year 12 Manor Lakes College in Wyndham Vale yesterday after the video surfaced.

“Let me be very clear, I will not tolerate this kind of completely unacceptable behaviour in our schools,” Mr Merlino said.

“There will be an independent investigation into the staff member’s conduct, and he has been immediately stood down while this investigation takes place.”

School councillor Daniel Foster told 3AW this morning that she supported Mr Warner “100 per cent”.

“At the end of the day, the policy basically surrounding all of this, if there’s a child, children or a teacher in any danger in any way, they need to be removed from that danger,” Mr Foster said.

“I 100 per cent support Steve Warner, since he’s come on board, that school has come along in leaps and bounds.

“James Merlino would want to have a look at that school, before Steve got there.

“As far as I’m aware there was an incident in the classroom and the child needed to be removed.

“The School Council will support Steve 100 per cent.”

Mark England, whose children attend Manor Lakes college, has started a petition calling for Steve Warner to be reinstated by James Merlino.

“What he’s done for the school in the past couple of years he’s been there, is fantastic,” Mark told 3AW.

“I just feel this is an isolated incident.”

“A 10 second video without getting the full explanation, of what occurred beforehand, just tarnishes the whole thing.”

The petition has gathered almost 1300 signatures at the time of writing.

Australian Principals Federation president Julie Podbury said she was “very, very concerned” that Mr Merlino had condemned Mr Warner without knowing “the full story”.

“We need to take care of the health and wellbeing of our principals and people are far too quick to jump to judge, jury and execution all at once, without being in possession of the facts,” Ms Podbury said.

“Perhaps (Mr Merlino has) been caught on the hop and hasn’t had time to reflect on this properly.

“After all he did attend the funeral of Mark Thompson, who took his own life after a parent complaint in 2014.”

Asked whether there was likely more to the story than is conveyed in the grainy video footage, Ms Podbury said: “Of course there is”.

“There will be a big backstory, and it’s no one else’s business at the moment. It needs to be fully and thoroughly investigated.

“The government’s committing $51m to principal health and wellbeing, so comments about matters when the full facts aren’t known are not helpful.”

The Australian has contacted Mr Merlino’s office for comment.

Victorian opposition education spokeswoman Cindy McLeish said the welfare of all staff and students at Manor Lakes was paramount.

“The school community should not be further disrupted because James Merlino has rushed to conclusions without checking facts,” Ms McLeish said.

“Due process must be followed.”

Victoria Police have said they are investigating the alleged incident.

“Police are investigating after a report was made regarding the treatment of a student at a school in Wyndham Vale on 31 January.

“It is yet to be determined if the 9-year-old boy was injured during the incident.

“The exact circumstances are being investigated.”