Two female teachers from Scots College have alleged staff experience wolf-whistling, sexualised gestures and deepfakes created by students as the school faces scrutiny over its culture following charges of alleged rape against three students.
Three teenage boys were arrested last week over the alleged sexual assault last month of a young girl in an alleyway in Bondi Junction.
Two boys, aged 13 and 14, were each charged with aggravated sexual assault in company and two counts of aggravated sexual touching of another person.
A third boy, 14, was charged with one count of aggravated sexual assault in company and one count of aggravated sexual touching of another person.
The charges have since sent shockwaves through the tight-knit school community.
Two female teachers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described alleged sexualised behaviour by male students as young as 13, according to The Saturday Telegraph.
‘Students have wolf-whistled at me and made sexualised sounds and gestures directed towards me in the classroom,’ one teacher, who currently works at the school, said.
‘Staff members and students have also been targeted with sexualised deepfakes, with their photos morphed into degrading and explicit images.’
Female teachers have described alleged sexism they encountered at Scots College
Three teenage boys who attended the school have been charged over the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl
The teacher claimed she overheard students in Years 7 to 9 rate the appearance of female teachers and girls from nearby schools and use the term ‘slut’.
‘The problem is a small cohort of boys whose behaviour has been allowed to become normalised and this has a flow-on effect,’ she added.
The second teacher, who left the private school within the last five years, claimed some male pupils responded differently when disciplined by female teachers.
‘I would give exactly the same direction as a male teacher, but when it came from a woman you were suddenly told to “calm down” and stop being “too dramatic”,’ she told the Telegraph.
‘It’s not necessarily one outrageous incident. It’s being undermined and talked over and hearing these comments day after day until it becomes part of the culture.’
Both women claimed their complaints were brushed aside, with the behaviour allegedly described by members of leadership as ‘harmless banter’.
The Daily Mail has contacted Scots College for comments on the teachers’ claims.
The allegations come amid criticism of the school, which was addressed in a letter to parents on August 18 by principal Dr Ian Lambert and chairman Glen Pather.
The school issued a letter to parents stating that sexual violence is ‘never acceptable’. Pictured: Principal Dr Ian Lambert
‘We want to be very clear: sexual violence is never acceptable. Behaviour of the kind alleged is entirely inconsistent with the standards and values of the College,’ they wrote.
‘Commentary that minimises sexual violence, blames or targets another person or speculates about the young people involved is also unacceptable.’
The heads noted that the school cannot ‘determine what occurred’ and that the allegations ‘occurred away from the college and outside school hours’.
The letter also stated that staff were holding discussions with students about the matter.
‘We understand that staff and parents want to know what has been said to students, what support is available and what the College teaches about consent, dignity and relationships,’ it read.
‘All students in Year Five and above have now been spoken to about this matter in age-appropriate ways and in settings suited to their stage of development.
‘In every case, additional support has been offered. Staff continue to pay close attention to students who may feel unsettled, angry, confused or personally affected by what they have heard or read.’
After their arrest, the three accused were granted strict conditional bail and are due to appear before a children’s court on August 25.
Police also executed search warrants at homes connected to the investigation, seizing several electronic devices for forensic examination.
Officers also seized two replica firearms, including a Glock-style BB gun, three laser pointers and a number plate alleged to have been stolen from one of the homes.
Those items will also undergo forensic testing.
The incident marks the most serious crisis in the 133-year history of one of the country’s most expensive schools.
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