A former Warrnambool North Technical School student has lodged a writ against the state government claiming he was sexually abused by a teacher in the 1980s.
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A writ was lodged for the former student, who cannot be named, in the Victorian Supreme Court through Warrnambool-based Arnold Thomas and Becker lawyer Nicole Elliot-Struth, claiming injury, loss and damages.
The student alleged when undertaking classes the teacher would come into the room, look over his shoulder and offer assistance.
The writ says the teacher would slap the student on the bottom and leave his hand on his buttocks and rub his backside.
It is claimed the teacher would rub himself against the student, who could feel the teacher was aroused.
It's also claimed the teacher grabbed the student's groin.
The student said in the writ that he was also called to the teacher's office for misbehaviour and given the option of punishment or have his mother called.
The student opted for his mother to be called.
The victim said he knew of other victims of the teacher.
He said he felt dirty and he now knew the teacher's behaviour was classic grooming.
"It made me feel dirty," he said.
"He would be full-on groping you, molesting you. I know another student who got into trouble.
"The teacher gave him the option of being punished by the teacher at school or having his parents called.
"He opted for being punished at school. He was put across the teacher's knee naked, spanked and then abused.
"He tried the same thing with me and I told him to ring my mother. I knew what was going to happen."
The victim said he went from being a straight-A student to wagging classes and drifting through school.
"I was a big kid. I think he got a bit worried and left me alone when I bulked up," the writ says.
"This bloke preyed on troubled kids. He molested me just about every day and when I told the principal nothing was done," he said.
The student claims those who took the teacher's class were referred to as the teacher's "Bum Boys".
It's alleged that during one class all students decided to sit on a workbench when the teacher entered the room in a silent protest and to prevent being touched on the buttocks.
The former student claims it was known among other teachers and the school principal the teacher would engage in inappropriate conduct.
The writ says the student claimed he had told the principal no one cared the teacher was inappropriately touching him.
"If the teachers at the school or principal did not know (the teacher) was a pedophile or had the propensity to abuse boys, they ought to have known," the writ claims.
The victim claims there should have been a system in place to complain about the teacher's conduct and the abuse would not have occurred.
The victim said he was keen to pursue a trade and would often spend lunch and free time in that wing.
When personal information was passed on to the teacher he was hugged and comforted by the teacher.
They created a close relationship and the teacher was a father figure, but he used his position to commit the abuse after gaining the boy's trust.
The abuse happened while the teacher was performing his duties and often committed under the guise of assisting with school work
The victim claims other teachers failed to report their knowledge of the abuse or suspected inappropriate conduct by the teacher to the principal or Victoria Police or the Department of Education
He also claims the department and school failed to have a policy which mandated inappropriate or suspected inappropriate conduct by teachers to be reported.
The victim said he dreaded going to class and started to cease going, he cut himself, lost trust in teachers and started misbehaving.
The writ claims the school and department's lack of systems to enable sexual abuse to be reported at the school was a disgrace which demanded appropriate punishment.
"The behaviour by (the teacher) was known by teachers at the school, was widespread among students, and should have been stopped," the writ claims.
The current Warrnambool College was formed from the merger of the former Warrnambool High School and Warrnambool North Technical School in 1994.
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