Teaching Watchdog Raids Fitzroy Community School Amid Abuse Allegations

Victoria's teaching watchdog has conducted a surprise raid on two campuses of the Fitzroy Community School in Melbourne's inner north, amid allegations of child sexual and physical abuse.

Authorised officers from the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) visited the school's North Fitzroy and Thornbury campuses on Wednesday morning, around 11am. The VIT spokesperson said the organisation was "focused on the safety and wellbeing of children and young people".

"The VIT can confirm that authorised officers attended Fitzroy Community School today as part of VIT's regulatory functions," the spokesperson said.

The raids follow historical allegations of sexual abuse, a sexualised culture, and concerns about physical discipline that allegedly turned violent. The regulatory action comes as sisters Gretel and Kirsten (surnames not used to protect their privacy), who blew the whistle on alleged sexualised conduct, lodge the first civil claim over sexual abuse allegations in Victoria's Supreme Court.

In August, three staff members were found unfit to hold a position of authority in the Victorian education system following an investigation by regulators into child safety and governance concerns. Later that month, the VIT suspended the school's co-founder, Faye Berryman.

She is the second teacher from the school to be suspended after her son, Nick Berryman, was suspended in September last year. His brother, former principal Tim Berryman, remains under investigation.

The VIT is currently investigating a third teacher for physical abuse allegations against a child this year.

The raid follows the resignation of the school's former principal, Craig Dowell, earlier this month, and board chair Clare Myers and board member Peter Behrendorff in September. Current acting principal Miranda Frankel is the former partner of Sean O'Carroll, the son of the school's co-founder.

"I want to acknowledge the ongoing media attention the school has received this year," Ms Frankel wrote to parents in an email on Monday, October 12. "This attention has been challenging for our whole school community, in particular families and staff. Unfortunately, we cannot rule out the possibility of further media coverage."

New school board member Emily Fishman is another former partner of Mr O'Carroll.

The board and Ms Frankel did not respond to questions.

Federal school data from 2025 shows there were about 98 students at both Fitzroy Community School campuses. The figure has dropped significantly, with numerous families leaving the Brunswick Street campus specifically.

The federal education department said it would take the outcome of Victorian regulators' investigations into consideration when determining whether Fitzroy Community School remained a "fit and proper" school.

A spokesperson for the Victorian government said it would "await outcomes from the VIT before making any comment". "The VIT, as the independent teacher regulator, is focused on protecting child safety and regulation in the public interest," it said in a statement.