Victorian education official to apologise in person for antisemitic bullying at Brighton secondary college
A Victorian education department official will make an in-person apology to five students who experienced antisemitic bullying at a Melbourne school.
The former Brighton secondary college students – Joel and Matt Kaplan, Liam Arnold-Levy, Guy Cohen and Zack Snelling – successfully sued the school and the state of Victoria in the federal court, which handed down its decision last month.
Each of them left Brighton secondary college prematurely, and four out of five departed the school due to antisemitic bullying.
The chief justice, Debra Mortimer, found that the Jewish students were not protected from bullying, discrimination and negligence when they attended the school between 2015 and 2020.
She said the then principal, Richard Minack, failed to take action to address “a high level of antisemitic bullying and harassment of Jewish students” and swastika graffiti at the school.
On Monday, Mortimer handed down her written judgment. The state has been ordered to pay the five men more than $500,000, including interest and legal costs.
She also ordered a senior official from the Department of Education to issue an oral, in-person apology to the five students.
The department has already sent written letters of apology to the men.
Former education minister Natalie Hutchins last month said the state would use the ruling to identify steps to eliminate antisemitism and racism in schools.
“Every Victorian student deserves to feel safe and respected at school,” she said.
“We deeply regret the antisemitism experienced by students at Brighton secondary college and apologise unreservedly.”