The Victorian Government’s official apology to the victims of anti-Semitic violence at a secondary school in Victoria has been rejected.
Five former pupils at Brighton Secondary College who were the targets of anti-Semitic acts between 2015 and 2020 received formal apology from the Victorian Department of Education today.
The young men questioned why the principle of their previous school was still working, criticized the apology, and attacked the premier for failing to deliver it during the event at a synagogue in Caulfield.
Former student Matt Kaplan remarked, “The way they acted, it’s a disservice to all Australian people.”
Guy Cohen, Joel and Matt Kaplan, Liam Arnold-Levy, Zack Snelling, and their brother Joel filed a successful lawsuit against the state in September, and they were awarded a total of more than $500,000.
A federal court judge determined that over an eight-year period, the school neglected to take the necessary action to deter hundreds of swastika graffiti tags on school premises.
Additionally, the students claimed to have received films of Adolf Hitler.
Stephen Fraser, the Victorian Deputy Secretary of the Department of Education, apologized to the young men in writing today.
He apologized profusely to the young lads in front of the assembly. “I am deeply sorry for the anti-Semitic bullying endured by Jewish students during their time at Brighton Secondary.”
Following the federal court’s ruling, Richard Minack, the principal of Brighton Secondary College, announced his resignation last month.
More than half a million dollars in compensation and legal fees are now due from the state.
