Geelong Grammar teacher sex abuse claims by former student, by Peter Mickelburough, Herald Sun (August 29, 2016)

GEELONG Grammar has been rocked by another sex abuse claim, with a former student claiming she was sexually assaulted by her English teacher 25 years ago.

The woman, who the Herald Sun has chosen not to identify, said the assault occurred when she was 18 when her teacher invited her to his home on the campus of the elite school.

Once inside, the now 42-year-old alleges the teacher placed her hand on his crotch and forced her to perform a sex act, touched her breasts through her clothing and kissed her. She said the assault occurred despite earlier complaints of sexual misconduct by other students against the same teacher.

The school was rocked last year by revelations at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse of sex abuse and cover-ups spanning six decades and involving five other teachers.

Since the attack, the woman says she has suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and polysubstance abuse and dependency.

As a result of these conditions, she has had a disturbed work history and suffered loss of income and earning capacity. She is seeking damages, interest and costs.

In a writ filed in the County Court, the woman claims the school is liable for the conduct of the teacher and that the principal, deputy principal and teachers owed her a duty of care to protect her from physical, psychological and sexual abuse harm.

She accuses the school of failing to properly respond to her report of the assault or adequately investigate the fitness of the teacher to be entrusted with the care of children.

She says the school failed to adequately supervise her attacker, failed to respond to his reported or observed behaviour with other students and failed to discipline or remove him after earlier complaints by other students.

The claims made to the royal commission included the case of another former student who alleged former teacher Jonathan Harvey tried to have sex with him at his house.

Harvey was later convicted of sexual offences against a Geelong Grammar student.

Former Geelong Grammar headmaster John Lewis, who was head of the school at the time of that assault, told the Commission that it was not “my business” to immediately report to police credible claims of sexual assault at the school.

It was also revealed that students seeking compensation for sexual abuse had to sign gag orders in return for payouts.

Stephen Meek, who became headmaster in 2004, told the commission he was “unreservedly” sorry that the school had failed students who suffered “traumatic and terrible” sexual abuse at the hands of teachers.