Royal Commission: Geelong Grammar principal kept accused teacher on staff

By Samantha Donovan
ABC - World Today
September 9, 2015

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2015/s4309065.htm?site=melbourne

DAVID MARK: A former principal of Geelong Grammar School has told the Royal Commission he didn't remove a teacher accused of child sexual abuse from the school.

John Lewis gave evidence that the parent who made the abuse complaint didn't want his son embarrassed, so he followed his wishes.

Mr Lewis was the principal of Geelong Grammar from 1980 to 1994 and went on to be Prince William's headmaster at Eton College near London.

Samantha Donovan is following the royal commission hearings in Melbourne and she joins me now.

So Sam who was this teacher and what was he accused of doing?

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Well the teacher, David, was Jonathan Harvey, and he's given evidence to the royal commission this week. He was convicted and jailed in 2007 for 10 months for the sexual abuse of a Geelong Grammar student in the 1970s.

But, the commission's heard that the school never reported to the police any concerns about Harvey that came from parents over the years, and there were quite a few. And he taught at the school or was house master at Geelong Grammar for the best part of three decades.

In 2004 though, the school decided he should retire a year early because complaints about his dealings with students had surfaced again and the school paid out his contract we've heard in full and gave him a good reference.

The case the commission's been asking the former principal, John Lewis, about this morning arose in about 1986 when a student's father went to Mr Lewis and raised concerns that Harvey had sexually abused his son on an overseas trip.

DAVID MARK: Now we mentioned that John Lewis didn't report the accusation, how did he explain that?

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Well he's given evidence that the father spoke to him twice about his concerns about what went on on that trip, spoke to him once at a cricket match. But as you mentioned Mr Lewis said the father was very concerned about his son and didn't want him embarrassed by any sort of investigation.

So Mr Lewis has given evidence this morning that he didn't report the matter to the police or really investigate himself, because of the father's wishes.

He told counsel assisting the commission David Lloyd, that he inherited a dilemma from the father which he didn't think he could solve.

JOHN LEWIS: I had no reason to disbelieve him, at the same time, I had no certain knowledge of what was being alleged and certainly no knowledge of what was being alleged was true.

DAVID LLOYD: Did you agree that, whatever the difficulties of the situation Mr Lewis, it just can't be right that the end solution to the dilemma that you've described is to not launch any investigation or otherwise take any steps to deal with a teacher currently on staff against whom it appeared to you an allegation of sexual abuse had been made.

JOHN LEWIS: I think many people, including many parents, would take the view that, in a matter of this sort, their wishes must be abided by and adhered to.

DAVID LLOYD: What about the parents of all the other boys who came under Harvey's care at that time?

JOHN LEWIS: Well Mr Harvey had been a house master since 1976; there had been no complaints raised against Mr Harvey to my knowledge before I arrived as headmaster. The only previous complaint I knew of took place in 1982. I did not take the view that boys, in general, or pupils in general, were at daily or regular risk of being abused. I do not think, in an institution, that you can ever conceivably eliminate all possibility of risk.

DAVID LLOYD: Do you agree, Mr Lewis, that the circumstances as I've described them to you and that you've agreed applied, whatever the difficulties you've identified with the situation are simply intolerable.

JOHN LEWIS: They're very unhappy, but until father had taken a different view in what he believed were the best interests of his son, that was where the situation stood in my judgement.

DAVID MARK: That's the former principal of Geelong Grammar John Lewis. And earlier we heard from our reporter Samantha Donovan, who's covering the royal commission in Melbourne.