Is Angie Cranston the aide from hell?

The Carenne Saviours have contacted Carenne Gate concerned about staffing adjustments being made at Carenne Special School due to her relentless bullying and harassment of other staff. Despite a history of incompetence, sexual misconduct, misuse of school equipment and being named in bullying complaints, Neil Moon does nothing about Cranston's misconduct.

"Angie is part of Neil Moon's inner circle" said one Saviour.

The Saviours allege that Angie Cranston, along with Simone Russell, Michael Auld and Margaret Rowe was responsible for spreading rumours throughout the school that Prue Luffman was having an affair with Peter Richards, leading to Mrs Luffman's nervous breakdown and resignation from Carenne. They also claim that along with Lucy Thornton, Angie Cranston hid or destroyed evidence that Carenne Support were not providing therapy to students which they had claimed they were doing therapy on.

The Saviours claim that Barbara Woolfe resigned from Carenne after working with Mrs Cranston, who made several serious allegations about her including claims that Mrs Woolfe was abusing children.

Earlier in the year, Kelly Thompson, a teacher highly regarded by parents was forced on to stress leave after she was bullied and harassed by Mrs Cranston. The department has since relocated her to Bathurst West Public to take her out of the stressful environment at Carenne.

The latest teacher to fall victim to Mrs Cranston is Matt Casey, who now refuses to work in the class despite being offered block work on that class. According to the Saviours, Mr Casey claimed he could not work with a woman like Mrs Cranston who pushed staff around and who neglected the welfare of students.

The failure of Neil Moon and Peter Harvey to take action against Mrs Cranston shows the special treatment members of the so-called Carenne Klan receive from the department.

Luther and Klavins allow student to menace others

Ros Luther and Di Klavins, staff who have been identified as sitting on an autistic student, calling the police on him to menace him and locking him in a storeroom continue to be selective in their practices with another student in their class being allowed to wander the school and menace other students.

Mrs Luther and Mrs Klavins have already been exposed for giving special treatment to the particular student because of who his parents are.

The student is allowed to assault staff and wander through the school grounds menacing younger students. Some younger students are afraid to leave their classroom to even go to the toilet because of the student. Some are even beginning to become apprehensive about going to school for fear that they will be attacked by the student.

The difference in treatment between students at Carenne is frightening. During Lynette Duncan's tenure as principal, she suspended another autistic student for a period lasting months for behaviour which was far less serious as this student, again the student's parents were not closely associated with the school.

It is about time the Department of Education and Training look at the inconsistent and unfair discipline procedures at the school.

Ros Luther and Di Klavins give special treatment to one student

Staff at Carenne Special School concerned about the policy of restraining a student in the class of Ros Luther and Di Klavins' by having several staff sit on him have expressed dismay at the way in which a student with a similar disorder is treated by comparison.

Staff claim that another student can be equally as difficult when he is having an autistic episode and that instead of calling for backup staff to come and sit on him, they simply call his mother. Staff believe the special treatment comes from his mother's involvement in Carenne Support.

Staff claim that prior to the student's mother's involvement in Carenne Support that he would be subjected to similar barbaric punishments such as locked outside in the area identified as the pig pen, locked in a storeroom or pinned against the wall.

These types of punishments and strategies must be stopped before someone is seriously injured and Carenne Gate will continue to call for change at Carenne Special School. We also feel that staff involved such as Ros Luther and Di Klavins, who users on this blog have called "monsters" must be immediately dismissed.

Bathurst Staff Support Officer identified as corrupt

It comes as no surprise to readers of this blog that the NSW government is entrenched with corruption and cover-ups and it is probably even less of a surprise that staff in the Western Region of the Department of Education and Training are involved in corrupt activities.

nedkelly has implicated Bathurst Assistant Staff Support Officer Janette Crawford in supporting false worker's compensation claims and interfering in claims of those known to be against the KLAN.

nedkelly claims that a comment posted by an anonymous user was true in part. nedkelly claims that she was told by Lee Churches to call GIO and make a report that Lyn Duncan was faking stress leave arising from her being named and shamed on Sydney Indymedia because she was an alcoholic and that nedkelly had seen her drinking alcohol during school hours in her office. nedkelly says that Churches told her that this tip had come from the Staff Support Officer at district office.

She claims that she was told by Janette Crawford that she should refuse to be interviewed by GIO over Nathan Carter's stress claim as there were pending investigations involving the ICAC. nedkelly alleges that Ms Crawford told her "we don't look after whistleblowers here, he should suffer for what he has done." She also claims that she was told to tell anyone that asked that she had learned that Nathan Carter had started his own business and had no intention of returning to Carenne. nedkelly claims that she knew this was not correct but was told to "toe the line" or be dismissed.

nedkelly alleges that Janette Crawford had a duty to report and take action against Michael Auld after Ms Churches and he schemed up a plan to stop Nathan Carter from returning to Carenne. nedkelly was aware that Mr Auld had told Ms Crawford that he would "smack out" Nathan Carter if he returned to Carenne. She said that Mr Auld told her that Ms Crawford thought it was funny.

nedkelly also alleges that she was told by Janette Crawford to be prepared to lie about Prue Luffman's claim if she was asked to be interviewed and to say that she was faking being stressed and that at no time had anyone said anything to her about being in a sexual relationship with Peter Richards. When she questioned whether or not this was put in writing, Ms Crawford told her that any records showing that would be destroyed to protect the school.

Save Carenne also provided a response when contacted by Carenne Gate. She said that she was told that Janette Crawford had told Bev Masters not to pursue a worker's compensation claim because it would make the school bad and just to take sick leave for stress, she also claims that district office was supportive of two claims made by Simone Russell, one when she was sick with pneumonia and her step-son was being investigated and another this year when she took time away from the office because she couldn't do the job and also because she wanted to be at home with her daughter. According to Save Carenne, Mrs Russell told her that she was furious that GIO had rejected her worker's compensation claim and said "I deserve some sort of compensation from being put through hell and back in that place."

Mary Housler's claims about whistleblower proven false

Mary Housler, Administrator of one of the organisations central to the Carenne Gate Affair - Carenne Support Limited has been proven to be incorrect about claims that all the trouble and complaints appear to have started when Brian Carter was dismissed at the end of 2008. With the release of a letter from Gail Vasic, Manager of Special Transport it is proven that Mr Carter first made a complaint to the department in August 2007.

Mrs Housler commented on this blog on 26 January 2010 and said:

All the so called "trouble" and complaints appear to have started when your "whistle blower", no doubt Brian Carter, was dismissed from employment for breaching the employment guidelines.

It appears his full time job now is thinking up more stories and wild accusations against anyone involved or associated with Carenne School.... no doubt I will be next.

According to hatho and savecarenne, Mrs Housler is claiming she did not make the comment and is being "set-up", to clear any confusion about this the IP address that the comment was posted from was 121.216.225.236. An email provided by savecarenne proves this IP address was the address of Mrs Housler on that date.

Based on this letter from Mrs Vasic, Mrs Housler has been proven to be a liar, a bully and someone who holds whistleblowers in complete contempt.

Carenne staff bully driver using faeces

Also posted to Sydney Indymedia

On Monday February 8 2010, students from Carenne School in Bathurst were forced to travel on a bus between Bathurst and Lithgow after staff had placed faeces on the front seat. According to witness accounts, a number of Carenne School staff were standing around and laughing as the driver got in and found the stinking mess.

On a blog that evening, one of the staff posted asking whether the driver liked her present that was left for her. The story then came out that someone had placed faeces on the seat of the bus in an attempt to bully the driver.

Students then had to travel from Bathurst to Lithgow in a bus stinking of faeces.

It further demonstrates bullying and threats at a school full of problems.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 10/02/2010:
Parents have contacted the principal of Carenne Public School, Neil Moon and Bathurst Schools Director Peter Harvey about the bullying of a driver using human faeces and the transport of students in a bus smelling of faeces for three days.

The schools director told parents that the bus was vandalised and the vandals must have put the faeces in the bus. Carenne principal Neil Moon told parents that a student had an "accident" on the front seat of the bus. Posts on this website indicate otherwise.

Students turn to the courts for relief from bullies

The bought and paid for media is reporting on how children as young as 10 are turning to the courts to get apprehended violence orders to protect themselves from other students, with as many as 613 being issued last year.

The trend is a worrying trend and teachers have lashed out saying that having to separate disputing parties is disruptive to schools. Psychologists claim that children are being failed by adults when the only option for protection is to seek an AVO from the court.

Wagga Wagga's Senior Constable Steven Johnson said some students were taking out AVOs against fellow classmates in a sort of arms race or "one upmanship". When they come into conflict with a rival they threaten them with the AVO.

The trend shows problems with bullying policies in NSW schools, no surprise really when you read about how some teachers threaten other staff without disciplinary action, students are roughly treated and encourage students to have fights. This kind of behaviour by school staff sets an example for students that shows this kind of behaviour is acceptable.

Staff claim that some staff encourage student bullying

A number of Carenne Special School staff have alleged that bullying between some students is rife and a number of staff look the other way when it happens. They also allege that some staff in particular actively encourage bullying between students.

These claim is not new, on November 14th 2009, 'savecarenne' posted the following on Sydney Indymedia:

Carenne's tactics against some students have reached an all-time low. They are now using other students to bully and harass a particular autistic student because his teacher and aides believe he is too difficult and hopefully he can be expelled from Carenne.

On Friday, I saw a student bullying another while Shepherd (Michael Auld), a bus worker and an aide watched on. When I told Shepherd I did not believe it was behaviour he should be
encouraging and he said it was "between the two students".

A parent confirmed that she was told by her son that Mr Auld encouraged the fight so that the students would get it out of their systems.

This is precisely how Alex Wildman and Jai Morcom died and should not be allowed in any school.

Carenne Support claims "child protection issue" in court, despite previously claiming the contrary

Posted November 1st, 2009 by jules85 on Sydney Indymedia

The organisation at the centre of the Carenne Gate affair, Carenne Support Limited changed its view on whether the transportation of a student to Lithgow return as a reward was a child protection issue or not when it raised the matter in the Industrial Relations Commission.

In a recount of the day in court, NSW Department of Education and Training Legal Officer Patrick Quinn stated that he told the commissioner:

After providing C. Cambridge with our side of events including the safety of students and the child protection issues surrounding the unauthorised transportation of a student...

This contrasts with information provided to Mick Eccleston in a telephone discussion between former Carenne Special School principal and Carenne Support Director, Terry Mahony. In his record, Mr Eccleston writes:

Mr Mahoney (sic) stated there were no child protection issues it was a staff conduct matter.

In a discussion with Peter Harvey and Mick Eccleston, Mr Harvey reiterated this view as represented in this record from Mr Eccleston:

[Mr Harvey] agreed that there were no child protection issues and that it was a matter of staff conduct.

If this is the case, why did Mr Mahony, represented by Mr Quinn go to the Industrial Relations Commission and claim that it was in fact a child protection issue?

There is also a dispute as to whether or not the transportation of a student was "unauthorised", the Carenne Saviours claim that the arrangement was implemented under Terry Mahony and Ros Luther's guidance as a reward for the student. It only became an issue when Mr Mahony was allegedly blackmailed by a number of staff in order to have Mr Carter's employment terminated.

Indymedia user jrosenberg claims that everyone at the school knew about it, meaning if it was a child protection issue why was it not reported?

Dissenters threatened with criminal action

Posted September 23rd, 2009 by jules85 on Sydney Indymedia

The four brave souls calling themselves the Carenne Saviours report that they have been threatened with police intervention should they continue speaking with the media or posting comments on this website.

The group claims that assistant principals Lee Churches and Michael Auld are claiming that the Police are trying to discover the identities of those commenting on Indymedia Sydney and are intending on laying charges. It is not the first time members of the group have been threatened, with one member claiming she received an email from the department's Employee Performance And Conduct (EPAC) Unit in May, claiming that her anonymity could amount to misconduct for failing to assist the department.

It would appear as though the threats - made by members of the Carenne Special School executive are simply tools used to suppress dissent. It is the advice of counsel that the police would not become involved in postings on a website unless the postings were threatening. Simply commenting on matters of public importance is no more a criminal offence than a peaceful protest.

The barrister did however advise that those aggrieved may lodge proceedings for defamation, but these would also be unlikely to succeed as long as the comments made were true and in the public interest.

The group claims that since the initial story about them was published on Indymedia, attempts have been made to identify those who dared to speak out. They claim that one staff member at the school had been suspected of being involved and has been the subject of random complaints by other staff and accused of neglecting the needs of a student in order to make life difficult for her.

Carenne Special School staff speak out

Originally published on Sydney Indymedia - 25 August 2009

I was fortunate to be invited to a meeting at the weekend where a group of four passionate educators met to discuss how to "save their school" following a mass of issues which the school executive, district office and the Employee Performance and Conduct Unit has refused to act upon. The group claims that the department is more interested in protecting a select few than fixing major problems.

The group contacted me asking if I would be interested in reporting on aspects of the meeting after discovering articles on Indymedia about their school. The only condition attached - complete anonymity.

After a three hour trip West of the Blue Mountains, I arrived in Bathurst and made my way to the restaurant where the group told me to meet them. I waited outside for a short time, wondering if my new found friends were going to show up or if I had been stood up.

After a while, a nervous looking woman came out and inquired "Are you Miss Brown?"

I responded "Yes" and followed the woman into the restaurant where the group was sitting. All four of those in attendance appeared jittery and nervous and every time the front door closed they were looking, making sure it wasn't someone they knew. One of the group told me "We are taking a huge risk by meeting here tonight, our careers will be over if anyone finds out."

Another said "you must realise that the only real opportunity for special education teachers and aides in Bathurst is Carenne."

It was immediately apparent the fear and apprehension that these people were feeling. They had taken a big step simply meeting in public, let alone with a journalist. At any time, Bathurst being the small town it is, someone they knew could walk in and see what was happening.

The group told me that they had been making complaints about Carenne for years, particularly about those close to the school executive who engage in misconduct. The group alleges that some of its members reported the relationship between a teacher and student only to be told they were "being stupid" and fobbed off by former school principal Jock Roxborough. Following the report, they claim they were harassed by an assistant principal and her close associates for being trouble-makers.

The group alleges that despite them reporting it well before the department investigation, they have never been asked to make a statement for the unfair dismissal or civil cases. They claim the department has only asked those who will collude and lie to provide statements supporting its defence into the relationship.

In October 2008, the group became concerned about an incident involving a bus escort and a student. They reported it to then principal Terry Mahony and were then subject to a number of attacks by the escort. When the escort began harassing parents at home after hours, the group decided it would begin writing complaints to sections of the department using an alias.

During our meeting, the group expressed astonishment at what they called the "gullibility" of the education department. With court cases surrounding the student sex affair and the unfair dismissal of Brian Carter involving the same people, the group can not believe the department continues to protect those involved. Because of this protection, those who are involved are able to target anyone they wish.

The group told me that there was a major crisis at the school, with staff being plotted against, harassed and setup. They said they no longer had anywhere to turn with Peter Harvey the local School Education Director doing nothing and the Employee Performance and Conduct Unit interested in finding out who is complaining rather than investigating the matters.

One of the group said "Peter Harvey showed his true colours on Wednesday, he has no interest in solving problems. He just wants the problems to go away,"

"He knows who sent letters and what-not and he was there denying that they came from the school."

Some of the matters complained about by the group are :-

* Breaches of the department's duty of care to students. They allege that in June a student got access to medication which was left unlocked in a teacher's desk and overdosed requiring a visit to the hospital which the school executive attempted to cover-up until it was exposed to the School Education Director.
* Threats of violence and defamatory remarks. Staff speak about how they would like to cause serious harm to whistleblower Brian Carter and student sex victim David Withyman for causing trouble for the school. Members of the school executive often join in or laugh at the comments.
* Nepotism in staffing. The principal's husband is given office work and a teachers aide's husband has been given the groundsman's position.
* Setups. An assistant principal has bragged about planting evidence and spooked staff about one of his theories in order to have another member of staff dismissed and items have been stolen from a teacher so that other's enemies are implicated in the theft.
* Access to information held by NSW Police. Due to a relationship between a Police officer and a school staff member, information held by Police has been leaked to the school.
* Letters sent by staff to set others up. The group has identified to the department who is sending anonymous letters complaining about school staff, which often are sent by those who the letter complains about in order to set someone else up.
* Circumventing legislation. They claim they were told by the principal not to refer to certain people in documents and instead use pseudonyms so they can't access them under Freedom of Information legislation.


The group says because of this they must regrettably take their cause public and expose what is happening at the school.