Crieff High School student left in tears after meeting with headteacher over letter highlighting abuse
5th year pupil Anna De Garis wrote and open letter to the school including a survey with other students experiences
Last updated 9th Feb 2022
Tay News is hearing from a Perthshire high school pupil, who says she was left in tears after trying to talk to her headteacher about abuse and bullying.
Anna De Garis, a 5th year pupil at Crieff High School in Perthshire published an open letter on Sunday, February 6th, alleging multiple instances of abuse at the school, including racism and sexual assault.
In the letter, directed at the school, Perth and Kinross council, local MPs, MSPs and the Scottish Government, the 16-year-old included a survey of fellow pupils showcasing their own experiences.
In the letter, Anna wrote: "During my time at Crieff High School I have personally experienced sexual assault, regular sexual harassment and frequent racist abuse.
"I have witnessed far more aimed at others and it’s clear to me that Racism, Sexism, Sexual Assault and Harassment, Homophobia and Transphobia are all rife, and through the school’s inaction, are also being normalised for many."
Through a survey of her peers, in which 14.48% of pupils at the school responded within 24 hours, over 70% of them said they had witnessed racism, homophobia and sexism at the school.
Through 100 written responses, pupils shared their experiences which include allegations of the frequent use of racial slurs, anti-Semitism and holocaust denial alongside the casual use of homophobic and transphobic slurs which are also directed at LGBTQ+ students.
On reading her fellow pupils responses Anna said: "I mean I expected not great things honesty. When you ask those types of questions I don't know what you'd expect, but, when I read it I was honestly horrified at some of the stuff people wrote. It was sickening.
"I couldn't even imagine that that stuff was going in behind the scenes. "
Anna delivered a message to her fellow pupils saying: "I'm really listening to you and I really am going to try my best, like honestly my hardest, to make the change. I really want, not only for myself, but, for future children in the school to really feel supported."
Crieff High School student left in tears after meeting with headteacher over letter highlighting abuse
Following the publishing of her letter. Anna and her parents attended a meeting with the school's headteacher John Donnelly, where Anna says she was made to "cry to the point I was physically shaking."
On the meeting the high school student said: "All of the stuff I brought up, my letter, he did not mention it once. He terminated the meeting before we could even discuss it. He made me feel really distressed. He accused me of sneering at him. He made me cry to the point I was physically shaking, it was horrible."
Anna's mum, Kristie De Garis, who also attended the meeting said: "We got absolutely nothing out of it. I feel like the situation between us and the school is worse now. But, what I would like to say is that Anna still attends school there, It is still a very important place to her and we are fully, fully open to working with the school to solving any problems."
Response from the Council
In response to Anna's letter, a spokesperson from Perth and Kinross council said: "Perth & Kinross Council is committed to providing a safe and secure learning environment for all our children and young people.
"Assault, bullying, harassment or discrimination of any kind is not tolerated in any of our schools. We take all allegations of these incidents extremely seriously.
"We have an anti-bullying strategy in Perth and Kinross that is underpinned by each school’s own individual policies setting out how they will deal with incidents of bullying.
"We would always encourage children, young people and their parents or carers to report any incidents of bullying so appropriate action can be taken."