page_title: Trinity Grammar School, Kew
section_title: 2018
hierarchical_section_title: Trinity Grammar School, Kew / Controversies / 2018
caption_attribution_description: English: Student protests at Trinity Grammar following the removal of the deputy headmaster
context_page_description: Trinity Grammar School, Kew is an independent Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Kew in Melbourne, Australia.
  The school was founded at a meeting of several high-ranking church figures on 14 November 1902. It opened in 1903, operating out of the Holy Trinity Church. Trinity is a founding member of the Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria. The school has over 1500 students and approximately 20 boarding students.
context_section_description: In March 2018, the school council sacked deputy headmaster Rohan Brown following a disciplinary issue which the council felt was "in contravention of school policy and was also inconsistent with community expectations in this day and age". The Age revealed that the dismissal was a result of Brown cutting a student's hair on school photo day as the hair did not meet the school's appearance policy. Some members of the school community – including current and past students, teachers and parents – were outraged by his dismissal and protests (which hundreds of students took part in) subsequently occurred on school grounds.
  
  At a meeting held by the school council to address the community (attended by in excess of 800 people), some members of the community expressed their lack of faith in the council, speculating that the circumstances regarding Brown's dismissal had political motivations and asked for the council to step down and be replaced by a democratically elected body. A large portion of the school community – including a representative of the student whose hair was cut – demanded that Brown be reinstated.
  Both Roderick Lyle (the school council chairman) and Michael Davies promised to consider the issue and reflect on the necessary actions. Following a town hall meeting of 13 March, which organisers said was attended by well over 1500 members of the school community, in addition to an online petition with over 6900 signatures, three members of the school council, including Lyle, tendered their resignations. Previous council chairman Robert Utter was installed as chairman, and an independent review of Brown's sacking was announced (led by former Federal Court judge Raymond Finkelstein QC and barrister Renee Enbom).
  However, the appointment of Utter sparked only more controversy as it was viewed by many that Utter was an unacceptable choice for chairman as he was an existing council member prior to the incident, that he was partially responsible for the "cultural shift" that the school had faced in recent years, and that – after 24 years on the council – he was no longer connected with the school community. The OTGA called for Utter to resign, strongly urging an independent chairman be appointed.
  Brown was reinstated on 11 April before the commencement of Term 2 after the school's independent review showed that he was unjustly removed from his role despite breaching the school's code of conduct.
  Then, on 15 May, Michael Davies announced his resignation from the role of headmaster, sending out a letter stating that it came "after a great deal of thought and discussion with [his] family". He left his job at the end of term, on 29 June. The school council was almost entirely replaced on 5 June 2018. A former principal of Carey Baptist Grammar School, Phil De Young, was appointed interim headmaster until a permanent one could be found.
caption: Students protests at Trinity Grammar following Rohan Brown's removal in 2018
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