A former student has come forward with allegations she was regularly assaulted at the school and the teacher’s home.
Lawyers for the former student Arnold Thomas & Becker will allege the school knew students at Goulburn Valley Grammar School were at risk of being abused and “sought to cover it up”.
Lawyer Kelly Schober said the teacher exploited the former student’s vulnerability “and sickeningly acted as a father figure who groomed and sexually violated her through her teenage and young adult years”.
“There was a failure to put in place systems and policies within the school to enable the notification and prevention of sexual and physical abuse,” Ms Schober said.
“Our client endured severe sexual, physical and psychological abuse throughout her formative years at Goulburn Valley Grammar that had a profound impact on her for the rest of her life since then.
“We are concerned that there may be other young people who have also suffered abuse.”
She said she recommended people that come forward “do not engage with the school to try and reach a settlement, and seek legal advice first”.
Goulburn Valley Grammar School principal Mark Torriero wrote a letter to parents, students and the broader school community.
He said the teacher was fired in 1995 when the school was told about allegations of abuse, with the staff member convicted of sexual offences against a student and served a prison sentence.
The student who the teacher was convicted of abusing is not the former student who has come forward this week.
In a statement to The News, Mr Torriero said he had spoken to the former student over email, plus a Zoom call on May 19, 2021, until August that year.
He said dialogue stopped on August 3, 2021, when the school was contacted by her legal firm.
“I am appalled by the events that occurred to [the former student] as I understand them,” Mr Torriero said.
“Our number one priority as a school is to create a safe environment for our students, both past and present, so they feel comfortable and safe and can raise any such issues with us.”
Mr Torriero said he admired the former student’s courage to report the matter to police and the school.
“We understand that she has already been through two criminal trials in the Victorian County Court over 20 years ago, where a former teacher was charged with sexual abuse and the juries on both occasions failed to reach a verdict,” he said.
He acknowledged the courage of the former student in coming forward.
“The school is committed to resolving this matter without causing further trauma to [the student].”
