Prestigious private school suspends students over 'sexist' list ranking girls' appearances

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A prestigious private school in Melbourne's east has suspended three students over a sexist and degrading list that rated female students' appearances.

Transcript

00:00 We spoke with Mark Merri, who is the principal of the prestigious private school Yarra Valley

00:07 Grammar out in Ringwood in Melbourne's east. And it has about 185 year 11 students all

00:13 paying around $30,000 a year to attend there. He says that this list ranking female appearances

00:21 at the school is quite disgraceful. And he says that it was brought to his attention

00:26 last week by an anonymous member of the public. He says that there are some of those words

00:31 that are particularly offensive and a warning to viewers now about some of the offensive

00:37 nature of these words that were used in terms of ranking the appearances. He says they included

00:43 wifey, cuties, mid, object, get out and perhaps most appallingly of all unrapeable. Now he

00:50 says that word in particular is deeply offensive because it could imply a level of threat.

00:58 And that is why the school is going to take this to police to investigate whether or not

01:03 there is any level of criminality involved. But he said generally this list he is shocked

01:09 and outraged by it. When it was brought to my attention, I just could not believe that

01:15 anyone could a) objectify our young women like that, their fellow students like that,

01:23 but b) be so cruel. And so we're attempting to pick up the pieces now. What has been said

01:30 can't be unsaid. And now we're facing the consequences of it here at the school.

01:36 Mark Merry says the boys are very remorseful about what happened. Those three that are

01:41 responsible and they have been suspended. However, that might not be the end of the

01:45 matter that the school is currently still conducting its investigations. And there could

01:50 be further sanctions that could be applied, for example, expulsion. He says at the moment,

01:57 the immediate priority is on the wellbeing and welfare of the female students at the

02:03 school. And there have been plenty of messages sent out to not just the students, but also

02:08 their parents. A letter that was sent out on the weekend referred to the fact that the

02:13 school takes this very seriously. The care of our students is our primary concern and

02:18 we are here to offer all the support we can. Mark Merry says that they have a range of

02:23 psychologists, counsellors and also their wellbeing team, which is on hand to support

02:29 those female students who have been caught up in this whole spreadsheet situation.

02:35 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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