NEWS: Herald Sun - 11/04/07 'Xavier College drug bust'

Xavier College drug bust
Milanda Rout
April 11, 2007 12:00am

AN exclusive private school has been rocked by a drug scandal that has led to the expulsion of one student and the suspension of three others.

Xavier College was forced to expel a year 11 student for selling marijuana in the school yard.

Another three pupils were suspended after admitting they bought the drug from the student.

Two of the suspended teenagers will return to school at the beginning of next term, on Monday.

It is believed the expelled teenager has already been enrolled at another school.

Staff at Xavier decided not to go to police over the incident, instead referring the students concerned for counselling.

Students at the independent Catholic school, where parents pay more than $15,000 in fees for VCE students, were told about the incident at year-level assemblies.

Xavier deputy head Dominic Calipari yesterday confirmed that a year 11 student had been expelled in late February.

But Mr Calipari denied there had been a cover-up.

Otherwise, he said, "we wouldn't have gone to each year level and made it public".

But Opposition education spokesman Philip Davis said any school authorities who were aware of drug-selling in the school were obliged to report it to police.

"Schools have a duty of care to children," Mr Davis said.

"And there should be no other policy than zero tolerance regarding drugs."

Police yesterday declined to comment until they had full details of the drug incident.
Mr Calipari said some students came forward in February concerned that a student was selling marijuana.

"I approached the individual and he acknowledged it," he said.

"He admitted it to me when I asked him . . . and he actually brought me two samples."

Mr Calipari said the student, believed to be 16, knew the school's strict drug policy.

"He said he was happy to accept the punishment," the deputy head said.

But Mr Calipari said the teenager was unwilling to name any other students who bought the drug as he did not want to "dob in his mates".

The deputy head said the names of the three students who bought the marijuana were obtained from other students.

He said the three admitted buying the drug and were suspended for up to three weeks.

"They made admissions," Mr Calipari said.

He said that one student said he had not used it, while another had admitted to smoking it in his back yard.

Mr Calipari said the school believed it had taken the best course of action.

"It was just important to get the parents in and talk about the future (of the student)," he said.

"And we thought the appropriate thing was to go to our school population."

The deputy head said Xavier provided drug education in both religious studies and health and human development classes.

Mr Calipari said the incident had come as a surprise.

"I have been teaching for 30 years and been deputy head for 10 years, and I was of the opinion that drug selling in schools . . . was dying out," he said.

"I knew him personally and he always says good morning.

"I think at the end of the day, the parents of this boy understood that it was good for them to be aware of it so they can put in preventative measures."

The Herald Sun revealed in October that Geelong Grammar had suspended a dozen students for underage drinking.

Click to expand...

College surrenders cannabis stash
Reko Rennie
April 11, 2007 - 3:28PM

Boroondara Police this afternoon attended Xavier College, where they have taken possession of a small quantity of cannabis after this morning's reports of a student dealing drugs on the premises.

News Limited reported that a former student was expelled after allegedly selling marijuana in the school grounds in February. Three students who bought the drug were reportedly suspended from the school.

The school reportedly told students of the incident but did not inform police.

This morning, Victoria Police Drug and Alcohol Unit's Senior Sergeant Tom Ebinger said the Booroondarra police station was making inquiries into the matter and will be contacting Xavier.

"Victoria Police see trafficking of a drug as a serious offence and feel that their (Xavier's) involvement is required," Senior Sergeant Ebinger said this morning.

"There are issues in relation to the seizure and destruction of the drug and technically the school has no legislative authority to take possession or dispose of the drug."

The News Limited report said that the exclusive Jesuit school's deputy head Dominic Calipari confirmed a year 11 student had been expelled in February and denied there had been a cover-up.

When theage.com.au contacted Xavier College senior school today a receptionist said Mr Calipari was not available to talk and everyone else was on holiday.

This afternoon, after attending the college, police said staff had been fully co-operative with police.

Police intend to speak to a 17-year-old student and his parents in the near future.

The police investigation is pending the results of this interview.

The cannabis will be destroyed in accordance with police procedure.

Premier Bracks 'concerned'

Earlier today Premier Steve Bracks said he shares parents' concerns about private schools failing to tell police of drug dealing on school grounds, but the policy is not a government matter.

"Private schools are independent and private, they operate independently like every other private company does in the country, so they have to make decisions themselves on what they report," Mr Bracks said.

State schools are obliged to inform police of any suspected crime, Mr Bracks said.

He said he understood parents would want to know their child's school was free of crime.

"I think we're all concerned. I'm concerned, parents are concerned, of course that you want to make sure that people comply with the law, of course and that, if there are alleged offences committed, that the law applies in those cases.

"As to whether it should have be referred to police, that's really something that would be a judgment for the school itself."

Mr Bracks said he hoped private schools would take heed of police views on the matter.

"If the police are recommending there be a re-examination of that and those matters are referred to police, I would ask the independent school system to have discussion with police around those matters," he said.

Click to expand...

"Private schools are independent and private, they operate independently like every other private company does in the country, so they have to make decisions themselves on what they report," Mr Bracks said.

Click to expand...

hoptis said:

^^^

Good work to News Limited & the Herald Sun. Now instead of just being expelled, this kid could start his life with a record.

Click to expand...

School drug boy 'victim'
Matt Cunningham, Anthony Dowsley and Milanda Rout
April 12, 2007 12:00am

THE parents of a boy thrown out of Xavier College for dealing drugs last night claimed he was the victim of the affair.

"To victimise a child like this is incredibly unfair," his mother told the Herald Sun.

"We have no comment to make about Xavier. The whole thing is incredibly unfair."

The teenager, who admits on his MySpace website to using drugs, would not comment.

Police yesterday said they would interview the 17-year-old and his parents after learning he was caught trafficking drugs at the top school in the Herald Sun yesterday.

The police probe comes amid a storm over the affair, with Xavier criticised for failing to call police.

Police spent an hour at the school yesterday and seized a small amount of cannabis.

The drugs had been kept at the school since late February when they were confiscated from the year 11 student.

Xavier deputy head Dominic Calipari told the Herald Sun on Tuesday that the confiscated marijuana was still at the school and he was not sure what to do with it.

He said he focused on addressing the problem with the student and their parents and did not consider calling police.

He said he may have acted differently if it had been "different kinds of drugs".

Sen-Sgt Tom Ebinger from the drug and alcohol strategy unit said any serious criminal activity should have been reported to police.

"Victoria Police take the view that trafficking of a drug is a serious offence and should be reported to them," he said.

Victoria Police has protocols with government schools requiring them to report any crime to police.

But the protocols do not apply to private schools.

Sen-Sgt Ebinger said police would now urge independent schools to sign up to the agreement.

"This incident has highlighted an issue that needs to be addressed and it will certainly be discussed in the future," he said.

Premier Steve Bracks said he shared parents' concerns about private schools failing to tell police of drug dealing on school grounds, but the policy was not a government matter.

Mr Bracks said the school was entitled to decide whether or not it wanted police to investigate.

"Private schools are independent and private, they operate independently like every other private company does in the country, so they have to make decisions themselves on what they report," he said.

But Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said all schools had a "duty of care" to report serious incidents to police.

"Criminal behaviour is criminal behaviour," he said.

"We have to do whatever we can to eliminate it and to send the message to kids in particular that it's dangerous to dabble (in drugs)."

Xavier College released a three-line statement last night saying it was co-operating with police.

But the school faced a barrage of criticism from parents, students and drug counsellors yesterday.

Drug counsellor Richard Smith, of the Raymond Hader Clinic, said he had helped many troubled children from private schools who had been dealing and using drugs.

He said some at top schools had high disposable incomes allowing them to abuse ice, cannabis and ecstasy.

"Private schools are no different. I'm not shocked. It's common for me to have young people from leading schools," he said.

He said the Xavier student should not have been expelled.

Click to expand...

Learning the lesson
Editorial
April 12, 2007 12:00am

THE case of a student at a private college who was caught selling marijuana, is a wake up call to those who think drugs are not a schoolyard problem.

Xavier College reacted sternly, expelling the student and suspending three others who bought the drug from him. But the school did not tell the police.

Had this happened at a state school, it would have had to call in the law.

But private schools can please themselves, an anomaly reinforced by Premier Steve Bracks who said yesterday it was up to private schools to decide.

He may be right in fact, but he is very wrong in principle.

Instead, there will be widespread support for the police view that all schools should be obliged to involve them.

Those running private schools must shake off the fear of adverse publicity and abide by existing guidelines under which all schools should report illegal activity.

Marijuana has long since been exposed as far from innocent: it can cause psychosis and suicide and lead to harder drugs.

Drug counsellor Richard Smith told the Herald Sun he has dealt with many "troubled" children from private schools who had been involved with various drugs.

This latest case renews doubts that we are doing enough.

Education is a crucial measure. But is this sufficient? Maybe we need to resort to more drastic measures – such as random drug tests for pupils.

Their lives (and futures) are at stake.

Click to expand...

School bent own drugs rule
Milanda Rout
April 16, 2007 12:00am

XAVIER College appears to have violated its own drugs policy by failing to immediately tell police about a student expelled for dealing drugs.

The exclusive private school has come under fire for its failure to notify authorities or hand over confiscated marijuana.

Xavier's drug policy, given to the Herald Sun by the school, states that the principal is legally required to alert police to any serious drug matters.

"In instances of serious illegal drug matters, the principal has a responsibility at law to make a report to the police," it states.

However Xavier principal Chris McCabe said the policy -- sent to all parents and in 2007 student diaries -- was not correct.

"It is not exactly accurate," Mr McCabe said.

He said yesterday the college had sought legal advice about its onus to notify police when the school expelled the year 11 student for selling marijuana in February.

"When this incident came up, we asked our legal adviser and he said we didn't have to report it," Mr McCabe said.

"And the Premier (Steve Bracks) has backed that up."

The school's drug policy also goes on to say: "In the case of student use, possession or intention to supply illegal drugs within the college environment, appropriate responses will be decided by the principal, the relevant head of campus and other relevant staff members."

The principal stated in a letter sent to parents last week that "the school was under no obligation" to report the matter to police.

But Mr McCabe said Xavier usually notified police, and was planning to do so in this case.

He said the delay in contacting police was due to the lengthy school investigation into the drug dealing.

"We should have talked to police straight away, and we accept that," Mr McCabe said.

The principal said no action would be taken against deputy head Dominic Calipari for failing to contact police or hand over the confiscated drugs.

"He has my respect and the overwhelming respect of the school community," he said.

Mr McCabe said the school would bring in a team of experts to review its drugs policies.

"(Xavier) is looking at the current policies and seeing if they are adequate enough," he said.

"We will review them, particularly in the light of current circumstances.

"We have the evidence that we need to do it."

But Mr McCabe ruled out a ban on mobile phones that have captured footage of forced fights and an incident of a student apparently being bullied while inside a wheelie bin.

"It would be unreasonably harsh to ban mobile phones entirely," he said.

The principal said staff would address students today when they return to school for term 2.

He said all students would be reminded of the school's disciplinary procedures regarding bullying and drugs.

However Mr McCabe denied there were serious drug problems at the school.

"This is the first incidence for several years," he said.

"It was a shock to us."

Click to expand...

Dr.Feelgood said:

Hahahaha this reminds me of the time my mate was called into the principles office only to find the headmaster sitting at his desk, with his beloved nang machine in front. He sure had some explaining to do, but hey, no-one's ever had as much fun actually doing a demonstration of what it was actually for...

Click to expand...

School drugs dob call
Bridie Smith
April 20, 2007

THE State Government is resisting calls to introduce mandatory drug reporting in private schools, which would bring them into line with the public education system.

Government schools are required to report a crime such as drug dealing to police, but the same protocols do not apply to private schools.

The discrepancy was highlighted last week when Kew's Xavier College was criticised for failing to report allegations that a year 11 student sold drugs on the school grounds in February.

The school confiscated the marijuana, alerted the teenager's parents and disciplined the 17-year-old student internally. The boy was expelled for allegedly selling cannabis at school, while three others were suspended. It was not until after media attention last week that police arrived at the school to investigate.

In Parliament yesterday, Labor education spokesman Phil Davis urged the Government to require all Victorian schools to report drug dealing on school grounds to police.

"Because of the duty of care of any school … any drug dealing activity must be reported to police," Mr Davis later told The Age.

Education Minister John Lenders rejected the calls. "You either believe that you register schools and give them a degree of autonomy … to adhere to the criminal law , or you regulate schools to the level that (federal Education Minister) Julie Bishop does."

Click to expand...