NEW CLAIMS OF ABUSE AT GEELONG GRAMMAR:

Former student at elite Geelong school says teacher abused her

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 said the assault occurred when she was 18 when her teacher invited her to his home on the campus.

Once inside, the now 42year-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 had 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 abuse and cover-ups spanning six decades and involving five other teachers.

Since the attack, the woman said she had suffered posttraumatic stress disorder, depression and substance abuse and dependency.

As a result she had had a disturbed work history and had 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 to adequately investigate the fitness of the teacher to be entrusted with children’s care.

And she also claims the school had 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.

The headmaster at the time, John Lewis, 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.

The school declined to comment on the latest allegations.