The former King’s School headmaster joked about a staff member’s violent remarks towards an autistic boy the day before he hit a student on the head with the back of his hand, court documents have revealed.
An external investigation found that during a farewell speech for the school’s sergeant, former head Tony George said words to the effect of: “Sarge is not infallible. He found himself in a situation last year where he used a figure of speech to a student, I’ll kick your arse until your nose bleeds. I don’t necessarily disagree with those words, but we can’t speak to an autistic student like that.”
George was terminated from his role last year and engaged in a legal battle with his former school before reaching a secret out-of-court settlement in January.
George’s concise statement about the matter, released by the Federal Court on Wednesday, included purported findings that the first investigation found he used the back of his “hand to hit the right side of the student’s head” on June 25. The investigation found it was not reportable conduct but was an assault of a child which “was trivial and negligible in nature”.
The second investigation related to remarks he made during a farewell speech for staff member Aaran Booth, the school sergeant, on June 24.
Following the June incidents, George took leave from the school, the statement said, and on August 15 he received two letters from the school’s council. He was told Halloran Morrisey Group would conduct a reportable conduct investigation into the incident with the student, and a second workplace investigation into the farewell speech remarks.
The chair of the council ultimately made findings on December 15 that George “had with a minimal degree of physical force and not in anger or to discipline the student, used the back of the Applicant’s [Tony George’s] hand to hit the right side of the student’s head, near his ear and cheek, and that such conduct was not reportable conduct but was an assault of a child that was trivial and negligible in nature”.
It also said he was not engaged in the ill-treatment of a child. It found he said on June 25 words to the effect of “I could lose my job over it” and also found that “this statement was a breach of the King’s School’s code of conduct”.
The council chair also found on December 15 that the “I’ll kick your arse until your nose bleeds” remarks were a breach of the King’s School’s code of conduct.
He was asked to provide written submissions about George’s “ability to return and fulfil [his] role as Head of Relevant Entity and the leader of a child-safe organisation” and attend a meeting on December 19 to “consider employment outcomes”.
George had taken leave in agreement with the school and was formally suspended in September after he informed the school council of his intention to resume his duties.
George’s legal team wrote to the school council’s legal team proposing mediation, and seeking additional information and documents relating to the investigation. The school’s council declined to provide them.
Earlier in the month, before the misconduct findings, George had messaged Sydney Anglican Archbishop Reverend Kanishka Raffel on December 8 and other members of the council, requesting that a mediation occur.
Raffel replied and stated that he was supportive of this direction.
On December 17 the school foreshadowed its decision to terminate George and declined requests to mediate. It wrote to him a termination letter on December 22.
The concise statement filed by George said the dismissal would cause him to suffer ongoing economic loss, loss of accommodation, reputational damage and general damage.
On December 24 the council told George he was required to vacate the headmaster’s residence located in North Parramatta by January 25.
George had sought an injunction against being terminated until December 2026, when his term was due to expire. It also sought information on which the findings of the investigations were based.
In 2023 the school was ordered to stop the planned construction of a plunge pool at its headmaster’s residence, after a government investigation found it would be an improper use of the school’s money.
Also in 2023 an investigation found business-class flights taken by George’s wife to an elite British rowing regatta would need to be repaid, after it was found to be an improper use of school funds and a breach of the Education Act.
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