'Bohemian' Melbourne schoolteacher Faye Berryman suspended

The Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) has suspended 82-year-old Faye Berryman, a former Order of Australia member, from teaching on an interim basis. Ms Berryman, along with her husband Philip, co-founded the Fitzroy Community School (FCS) in 1970 from their family home. The school is currently under investigation by Victoria Police and regulatory bodies due to multiple complaints by parents and former students.

Two other FCS teachers have also been placed on leave. The VIT has suspended Berryman's teaching registration while it conducts its investigation. She is unable to teach in any school while suspended. Berryman's son and former teacher, Nick, has also been suspended and is set to face a formal VIT hearing. His brother, former FCS principal Tim, is under investigation and found unfit to hold a senior position at any Victorian school.

In 2020, Berryman was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her significant services to education. Local councils have removed the Fitzroy Readers, a phonics book series co-established by Berryman and her husband, from library shelves due to concerns about potential distress. Victoria Police is reviewing multiple sexual abuse allegations made at the school and encourages anyone with information to come forward.

An independent investigation into the allegations has been hired by the school, but it cannot begin without clearance from Victoria Police.