NEWS

---

Staff list provided by Disability Rights Australia (Click Staff list above)

---

By Danielle Kutchel ABC Gippsland, Sept 2026
Premier Ben Carroll says the government will work with authorities to address allegations of sexual abuse at a special school in the state’s east, but stopped short of promising an independent investigation.
On Wednesday, Mr Carroll said he was aware of the matter.

“These are harrowing allegations and my thoughts are with the families and the students,” he said.

“I am aware of this matter. We take this matter very seriously.

“We will respond. It is with authorities.”

---

ABC Gippsland, By Danielle Kutchel Aug 2026

A parents’ group has asked the state government to conduct a review into the alleged abuse of 60 students at an eastern Victorian special developmental school, which they claim has been left unchecked for years.

Voices for Special Needs (VFSN) alleges extensive incidents of physical, mental and sexual abuse over an almost 20-year period at Latrobe Special Developmental School. Allegations seen by the ABC and raised with Victorian premier Ben Carroll on Saturday include details of 15 alleged incidents of sexual abuse.

On 31 August 2026, ABC Gippsland reported on what families and staff say happened at Latrobe Special Developmental School. Here it is in their own words.

A mother, on the day everything changed

“He just completely lost it in the car, he was inconsolable.”

“He would cry before he got on the [school] bus, he would hide his bag, he’d repeat ‘no school, no school’ over and over.”

A second parent, said she took her concerns to the police after her daughter alleged she had been inappropriately touched by a contractor who worked at the school.

A staff member who tried to speak up

“You couldn’t speak to them about what happened with the kids because they wouldn’t listen.”

“If I said something nobody spoke to me. I was excluded from everything.”

Our spokesperson

“They are our most vulnerable citizens. They have a right to have eyes on them.”

“My child was not safe at one of their Victorian special schools.”

“Abuses are still happening, they aren’t historical, and the system in place is failing and has been for a very long time.”

A disability advocate

“A lot of [children] are withdrawn from the school situation as a result of what’s [been alleged] and leaving the school system altogether. Is that what we want?”

In Parliament

“These families seek truth, accountability and confidence that every child attending a Victorian specialist school is safe, respected and protected.”

— Melina Bath MP, Member for Eastern Victoria

We are asking the Premier for an independent review, and for cameras in special school classrooms and on school buses.

Source: Danielle Kutchel, ABC Gippsland

---

By AIDAN KNIGHT

A Gippsland family has launched legal action against the state government after their 12-year-old son, was severely injured by running through a glass window at Latrobe Special Developmental School in 2019. The child who lives with autism, ADHD, an intellectual disability, and epilepsy, suffered deep cuts to his head and arms requiring an emergency ambulance and extensive stitches because the school failed to use regulation Grade A safety glass. The trauma left him with severe anxiety and school avoidance behaviors, completely breaking the family’s trust. While the firm Arnold Thomas & Becker prepares for a County Court trial listed for May 17, 2026, they revealed the school ignored repeated requests for an incident report and only offered to upgraded to safety glass after WorkSafe intervened. The family stated, “We trusted the school to keep our son safe, and that trust was broken—we do not want another family to go through what we have experienced.”

---

By Jessica Longbottom ABC News

Disability Rights Australia, Feb 2025 comments with a link to the full article

Another disgraceful handling of children, with the Department of Education apologising I think for the fourth time now in a couple of years for the manner in which it handled discrimination and abuse in their system.

Interestingly, Ben Carroll says the safety of children is his number one priority, but when told about multiple sexual abuse victims at Latrobe SDS only in the last few months, he was so disinterested he didn’t even respond.

The failure to respond appropriately to these exact matters continues to be relevant as we speak, at Peninsula Specialist School, and we are still waiting for the Department to contact all the victims of sexual assault at Latrobe SDS?

Is it because these kids have disabilities that we’re not getting any action here?

As for the future, same culture, same legal team, nothing has changed for years, and each apology means less every time we hear it.

---

Disability Rights Australia, Jan 2025

WARNING – LATROBE SDS

Any parents with a child at Latrobe SDS should think long and hard about that placement. With a long history of abuse and neglect which the Department of Education has gone to great pains to cover up, two school employees have recently been found guilty of conduct amounting to neglect, Barbara Walsh, and Nicole Herbert – current Principal….

As always, this post exists because the DoE does not respond to disclosures of abuse, sexual abuse and assault of children disabilities, except to deny and sweep under the carpet. The day that changes, this page will no longer be needed.
Minister Ben Carroll has been advised of the abuse occurring at Latrobe and did not bother to reply.

---

By ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC, April 2024

SENDING your kids to school shouldn’t be an issue, but the parents involved with Voices for Special Needs (VFSN) recount harrowing cases of misconduct towards their children with disability.
Giving evidence to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the state education system in Victoria, VFSN alleged that the group, made of victims, their families and whistleblowers, had uncovered 60 students who have reported accounts of school misconduct.
Late last year, Latrobe Special Developmental School was included in a list featuring 44 Victorian schools where students with disabilities have suffered seclusion, neglect and abuse dating back to incidents from 2015.
While an independent 2021 culture review resulted in the department implementing an action plan and claiming high parental satisfaction, VFSN maintains that serious, unaddressed misconduct has persisted into 2023. Because many affected students are non-verbal, families have had to decipher trauma through alternative forms of communication and some have recently pursued legal action. Feeling completely unheard by the Department of Education, VFSN has bypassed them to provide extensive witness accounts directly to the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) and the Victorian Disability Workers Commission (VDWC). At the parliamentary hearing, VFSN fiercely advocated for systemic changes across all Victorian special schools, demanding urgent recommendations including the installation of CCTV monitoring and the creation of a completely independent compliance authority body.

---

Disability Rights Australia, Nov 2023

There is no apology for students with disabilities who have been victims of abuse at Marnebek School, Bendigo SDS, Southern Autistic School, Latrobe SDS or Jackson School.

The apology for the “catastrophic failures” in protecting children, is only to students without disabilities who were sexually assaulted….

---

By Cassandra Morgan and Callum Godde, Aug 2023

More than 180 Victorian schools are facing legal action over claims of historical child abuse as the government weighs up expanding an inquiry into such allegations.

Arnold Thomas & Becker Lawyers is pursuing matters on behalf of almost 300 former students who allege they were sexually abused.

---

Disability Rights Australia, Nov 2022

Hell no.
Four families pursuing legal cases against the school
On going investigations of the school by several regulatory bodies
Multiple staff on workcover
A group discrimination complaint against the school.
Meanwhile, how does the principal who was in charge when all of these incidents occurred, giving rise to what is turning out to be (another) legal mess, still get to work at the school?

• Barbara Walsh was Principal from 2012 to mid June 2018 upon which time she announced her retirement and had a retirement function held for her paid for by school funds.
• A few weeks later, Ms Walsh was working back at the school as a Casual Relief Teacher.
• In Term 1 2019, Nicole Herbert became the executive appointed Principal.
• Ms Herbert and Ms Walsh are known to be long term good friends outside of the school.
• Ms Walsh worked throughout 2019, and by 2020 was permanent three days per week. Ms Walsh continues to relief teach throughout 2022
  So at the school we’ve had rampant bullying, intervention orders, sexual assaults of children, serious injuries to children, abuse and neglect of children. We have a culture that encourages staff to feel safe having a joke about their students and suggesting that they be put in a cage and encouraged to fight with each other, we have had families pull their kids out in droves. Complete dysfunction internally, and presenting a danger to the mental and physical health of children.

---

Latrobe Valley Express, July 2022 by Michelle Slater

Melina Bath MP

“Families are telling me the Andrews Labor Government is not listening and that parent’s requests for records that will help expose the truth are being ignored,” Ms Bath said.

“These allegations are not new – I have been advocating on behalf of parents’ in State Parliament for years – but the Andrews Labor Government still refuses to believe parents or offer support.

“Children coming home from school with repeated and unexplained injuries or trauma are just some of the stories that will be recounted at this week’s hearings.

“In another case, a parent requested a copy of the school’s report of an alleged incident on a school excursion, after their nonverbal child had to be taken to hospital.

“The Andrews Government forced the family to lodge a Freedom of Information (FOI) request if they wanted their child’s information – which shockingly arrived completely redacted.

“These children are nonverbal and cannot advocate for themselves.

“They and their parents and carers rely on an education system that is supportive, promotes transparency and best practice reporting, investigation and communication.”

Disability Rights Australia

This article was the first many parents knew, that an “independent” review into the “school culture” had been completed.

Firstly, it wasn’t only a review into “school culture”. It was also a review into abuse and neglect, unexplained injuries and negligence, promised by Andrew Eastcott.

Secondly, bureaucrat Mr Christopher Thompson promised parents that he would advise them of the outcome. Why hasn’t he?

“The overwhelming majority of parents of students at Latrobe SDS are supportive of the work of the staff to support the learning and development of the children.” What about all the parents that have pulled out their children in the last two years? And where is the evidence that they are happy with the school as opposed to not knowing where else to enrol their children?

Apparently “new leadership should help to address legacy issues at the school.” Legacy issues? As usual, DET hides the fact of the numerous withdrawals and legal complaints against the school, which were not for “legacy issues”, they were and are about issues much more serious than that. And why have most parents withdrawn their children under the CURRENT leadership?

As for new leadership, the Principal at the time of the abuse and neglect, Barbara Walsh, was rehired by the new principal and is still there. The two new Assistant Principals are former teachers at the school. Any staff member who saw what was happening and did not stand up, is complicit.

---

Parliament of Victoria Adjournment, Dec 2021

In a parliamentary adjournment, Ms Bath MP highlighted the distress of an Indigenous, non-verbal student with autism, who was barred from participating in his school graduation by Latrobe Special Developmental School. After 11 years at the school, his parents requested he be allowed to graduate alongside five of his peers so he could transition into an adult daily living program. Despite him being deeply upset by the exclusion, both the classroom teacher and Principal Nicole Herbert denied the request, stating he could only graduate if he returned the following year when he turned 18. Supported by regional department backing, the school cited rigid transition rules, even though no educational law prevented him from joining the ceremony as a valedictorian. Condemning the school’s lack of flexibility for individual student needs, Ms Bath referred the matter to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and formally demanded the Education Minister provide a justification for the exclusion.

An Indigenous, non-verbal student with severe autism used his voice independently for the first time to tell his parents he was ready to finish school. Despite attending Latrobe Special Developmental School since prep, Principal Nicole Herbert and the teacher flatly refused his family’s request to let him celebrate alongside his lifelong friends. The school callously claimed he couldn’t graduate because he wasn’t 18 yet, even telling his mother that if he did attend, his parents would be banned from watching and he would be forced to just sit alone and watch. This heartless exclusion caused the young man severe emotional distress and confusion, proving that school leadership cares more about rigid department rules than honouring a vulnerable student’s voice or supporting a family that has done it tough for 17 years.

The ceremony you have when cannot attend an official ceremony….Today I am pleased to say we held a fabulous inclusive ceremony for him and his good friend (who ‘retired’ from school in 2020) with their families, former support staff and Gunai Kurnai elder Uncle Lloyd Hood who delivered the ‘Welcome to Country’.
Together we celebrated him and his friend and their journey to independence as young adults….

---

Disability Rights Australia, Dec 2021

…Of the hundreds of people, why is it that the whistleblowers can be counted on one hand? And when you think about the latest news through the NDIS, it’s probably thousands of people.
The whistleblowers at Bendigo SDS cannot work in Victoria again. I imagine the same is true for the teacher from Southern, and probably the same will happen at Latrobe. These people are heroic in my view. They have put the children first, they have stood up against the Department of Education in Victoria, which is one of the most vindictive and aggressive government departments in Australia….

---

Disability Rights Australia, June 2021

A vulnerable, non-verbal student—referred to as Julius—was removed from Latrobe Special Developmental School in 2020 after exhibiting severe trauma and signs of sexual abuse. In 2019, Julius began returning home in tears, displaying intense terror when unclothing or using the bathroom, refusing to attend school, and suffering from debilitating nightmares and separation anxiety. When asked about his distress, Julius would cry, scream, and cover his private parts. His family was left to independently rehabilitate his trust regarding basic hygiene and bathing, noting that the school environment was the only place he was unsupervised by his parents. Despite these profound behavioral shifts, the school administration under leadership failed to independently report any distress, showed a complete lack of concern when the matter was directly raised, and offered no investigation, forcing yet another family to withdraw their child to protect them and submit their case to the Disability Royal Commission.

---

Disability Rights Australia, June 2021

An older student with known predatory behaviours was allegedly left unsupervised on school buses, in common changing areas and around the school, leading to the repeated sexual assault of a junior student over several years. Despite the victim’s parents explicitly raising the abuse with Principal Nicole Herbert and former Principal Barbara Walsh in 2016 and 2018, the school allegedly failed to file mandatory reports, notify child protection authorities, or implement safety and support plans. Furthermore, bus staff reportedly witnessed the misconduct and intervened at times but failed to notify the victim’s family, leaving them completely unaware until an accidental discovery. The full extent of the multi-year abuse was only uncovered in 2020 after the family contacted the police, exposing critical, systemic failures by school leadership to protect vulnerable children.

---

My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for
Education, the Honourable James Merlino in the other place, and it is quite a serious matter. It relates to a Worklogic investigation of alleged incidents at the Latrobe Special Developmental School and a broader range of issues regarding accusations of unacceptable culture at the school.

Investigations Expand with Whistleblower Protections Demanded

Ms Bath MP highlighted the expansion of independent inquiries into Latrobe Special Developmental School, driven by shocking testimony and case studies compiled by Voices for Special Needs (VFSN). Following sustained community pressure, the independent firm Worklogic launched an investigation into the school’s unacceptable culture, running alongside a separate inquiry by the Commission for Children and Young People into ongoing practices. However, courageous school staff holding critical evidence remain terrified to come forward due to severe fears of losing their anonymity, facing public vilification, or losing their jobs. Education Minister James Merlino was urged to immediately guarantee strict whistleblower protections for these staff members, as a thorough investigation and the safety of the children cannot be achieved if insiders are left vulnerable to workplace backlash.

Disability Rights Australia, Feb 2021

Abuse at Latrobe SDS
Another “independent inquiry” overseen by DET where the report will go to DET and never see the light of day again. When will people realise that the Victorian Department of Education and Training is a systemic organisational abuser of kids with disabilities that has no intention of ever bringing anyone who commits violence against a student with a disability to justice

---

The Australian, Nov 2020

---

12 Students have left Latrobe SDS since Jan 2020

Disability Rights Australia Oct 2021

Since January 2020, at least 12 students—equivalent to two entire classrooms—have been removed from Latrobe Special Developmental School due to severe safety, learning and wellbeing concerns. Former parents, currently liaising anonymously with authorities, report an astounding lack of leadership and basic humanity from Principal Nicole Herbert and senior staff following their departures. Multiple families revealed that after pulling their vulnerable children from the school, they received zero follow-up, welfare checks, or exit discussions regarding their safety concerns. Instead, parents encountered complete administrative silence, were instructed to park outside to collect their children’s belongings and were forced to file Freedom of Information (FOI) requests just to access their own children’s student files.

---

Cher Jimenez Nov 2020

The Victorian Department of Education and Training, WorkSafe Victoria and the Morwell Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Team confirmed simultaneous investigations into widespread misconduct allegations at Latrobe Special Developmental School. The parent advocacy group Voices for Special Needs compiled witness statements detailing more than 45 incidents affecting students aged 5 to 18, alleging systemic leadership failures under Principal Nicole Herbert, student-to-student sexual assault and physical manhandling by staff. The group condemned a school culture of secrecy that suppressed internal whistleblowers and failed to provide support plans for either victims or their families.

---

Cher Jimenez Nov 2020

Voices for Special Needs has revealed that severe trauma from alleged staff manhandling and physical restraints has triggered profound behavioral regression in students aged 5 to 18. Affected children are experiencing severe anxiety, aggressive outbursts, sleep disturbances, bed-wetting and a total withdrawal from schooling. The group has compiled witness statements detailing more than 45 incidents of physical restraint, describing the details as horrific and noting that deep family trauma has forced them to seek outside counselling. Driven by these systemic failures, the group is launching a website to support other families and is demanding a completely independent, external investigation from outside the region to ensure abusive staff are permanently barred from the disability sector.

---