Sunshine Coast Grammar school drops Shake It Up Music as supplier

The fallout from a prominent music store owner being jailed over historic child sex offences continues, with one Sunshine Coast school publicly severing ties with the store as their supplier.

Sunshine Coast Grammar School has dropped Shake It Up Music as an equipment supplier after its owner, Mark Higgins (pictured) was convicted of historic child sex offences.​

Sunshine Coast Grammar has dropped popular Nambour music store Shake It Up Music as an equipment supplier in the aftermath of owner Mark Anthony Higgins being convicted over historic child abuse crimes.

Higgins, 57, was found guilty in the Maroochydore District Court and convicted on March 3 of two historical charges of indecent treatment of a child under 16 dated between August 26 1997 and August 27 1998.

He also faced two charges of indecent treatment of a child under 12, but was acquitted by the jury.

Mark Higgins. Photo: Brett Wortman

He was sentenced to one year in jail, but will only serve six months before he is released and the rest of his sentence suspended for a further six months.

In light of the conviction, Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents confirmed Higgins had stood down as director of MAEC Holdings Pty Ltd, the business name holder for his popular music store, Shake It Up Music. As of March 7, documents still listed him as a shareholder of the business name holder.

But the fallout has continued with Sunshine Coast Grammar School announcing they had stopped using Shake It Up Music as an equipment supplier.

Sunshine Coast Grammar School at Forest Glen has publicly severed ties with Shake It Up Music as their equipment supplier. photo by Nicholas Falconer

Principal Anna Owens said the decision demonstrated the school’s view of Higgins behaviour.

“It is our intent to openly communicate to our school community our response to this news. This behaviour is misaligned with our school values,” she said.

“As a school we are committed to creating and maintaining safe environments for all children and young people, and it is our hope that our communication to parents affirms this.

“Although this supplier has broad influence in schools across the region it is our moral obligation to be transparent and make decisions in the best interest of our families.”

The Sunshine Coast Daily has viewed an email sent to parents on Thursday notifying them of the decision, adding they “cannot accept any risk”.

In 2016, Higgins told the Sunshine Coast Daily the shop “personally (serviced)” 80 per cent of all Sunshine Coast schools after becoming a preferred supplier for the Queensland Government’s Department of Education and Training.

The new Director of MAEC Holdings Pty Ltd Robert Lamberti, who has not engaged in any wrongdoing, politely declined to comment.

Originally published as Sunshine Coast Grammar school drops Shake It Up Music as supplier