Independent Councillors debunk PMSA 'transparency' claim

Chair of the PMSA, Mr Greg Adsett was on ABC Radio today proclaiming the PMSA is open and transparent. Recently resigned Somerville House Independent School Councillors believe otherwise, and have released the following joint statement.

' The PMSA appointed Mr Rick Hiley to the position of Executive Manager of the PMSA on 6 June 2017. At that time Mr Hiley was still employed at Somerville House.

On 7 June 2017, Reverend Fysh (a PMSA council member and the then chairperson the Somerville House Council) and Mrs Kearney, the school principal, met with Mr Hiley whilst he was still working at Somerville House and raised with him allegations of serious misconduct arising out of his employment at Somerville House. That meeting ended with Rev Fysh ensuring that Mr Hiley departed the school premises.

The so called “independent investigation” by Q Workplace Solutions (“the Investigative Report”) was in fact commissioned by the PMSA and the PMSA’s solicitors, Hopgood Ganim, after Mr Hiley later complained to Mr Robert McCall, the then Chairman of the PMSA, about the way in which he had been treated by Rev Fysh.

At the time that the PMSA commissioned the investigation, Mr Robert McCall was its chairman and Mr Hiley was its Executive Manager. Each of these men remained in those positions with the PMSA throughout the investigation until its completion and the subsequent delivery of the Investigative Report.

As at 7 June 2017, the Somerville House Council had three independent community members: Dr Bird, Mr Ian McDonald and Dr Sarah Kelly. The rest of the Council were comprised of PMSA members (one of whom had to be Chairman) and the School Principal. Under the Council’s charter, the committee was charged with the responsibility of acting in the best interests of the school, its pupils and its school community and the PMSA. One of the main responsibilities of the School Council was expressed to be “to ensure the legal and ethical integrity of School operations and to maintain accountability”. The Council’s charter required the independent community members to be drawn from the wider school community.

Mr Adsett has repeatedly proclaimed in public that the Investigative Report was independent and completely exonerated Mr Hiley. He has also referred on morning radio to transparency.

In terms of the Investigative Report:

1. The 3 independent community members made repeated requests to be shown the Investigative Report;

2. Mr Adsett and the PMSA have repeatedly refused to provide a copy of the Investigative Report to the 3 independent community members;

3. The refusal has been on the stated basis that the PMSA wishes to preserve the confidentiality of the Investigative Report;

4. The 3 independent community members also unsuccessfully attempted through solicitors correspondence directed to the PMSA’s solicitors to obtain a copy of the Investigative Report;

5. As a result, the 3 independent community member and the Principal have never seen the Investigative Report however the PMSA members of the Somerville School Council have not only read the report but have made their own interpretations of its content;

6. The PMSA (by Mr Adsett) did confirm to the 3 independent community members at a meeting on 15 August 2017 that the extensive text messages passing between Mr Hiley and Mr McCall (some of which have since been referred to in newspaper articles) were not briefed to Q Workplace Solutions for the purpose of their investigation;

7. The 3 independent community members also understand that the alleged data breaches relating to the Somerville House Foundation, TAFE and Lifeline were not the subject of the investigation by Q Workplace Solutions.

The 3 independent Community Members have never been shown or provided with a copy of the Deloitte Report which has been referred to in the Australian. They also understand that the Principal Mrs Kearney was never shown a copy of that report.

By an email to the school community dated 12 October 2017 Mr Adsett and the current chairman of the Somerville House School Council, Mr Demack, stated, in reference to the Investigative Report, that the PMSA had “discussed those matters with the School Council”.

The discussions between the PMSA and the independent community members about the Investigative Report, how the investigators were briefed and whether the independent community members were entitled to see the Investigative Report were substantially in writing and contained in a letter from the PMSA to the School Council Acting Chairman dated 9 August 2017, a letter from the School Council to the PMSA dated 21 August 2017 and a letter from the PMSA to the independent community members dated 31 August 2017. Drs Bird and Kelly and Mr MacDonald invite Mr Adsett, in a spirit of transparency, to agree to the publication of the entirety of that correspondence. This is particularly important now that he and Mr Demack raised the matter of discussions with the School Council in their letter to the school community dated 12 October 2017.

After having received the letter from the PMSA to the independent Community members dated 31 August 2017, Dr Sarah Kelly resigned her position as an independent community member by a detailed letter dated 31 August 2017 to the PMSA. That resignation letter should form part of the records of the Somerville House Council and the PMSA.

Dr Kelly resigned because she considered there to have been decisions made by the PMSA which had been directed to the Somerville School Council which had involved fundamental failures of governance and due process and with which she strongly disagreed.

Mr Ian MacDonald resigned from the School Council on 26 October 2017 stating that “ I can no longer stomach the behaviour of the PMSA council. When I find out about yesterdays events from an AHISA (Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia) email notice to principals, it simply says to me that there is no regard by the PMSA for me or the independent councillors. I think Somerville is a great school and deserves governance by competent people of integrity with some educational understanding at least.”

Dr Bird’s position is now a matter of public record as contained in his email dated 20/10/2017

Rev Fysh resigned as chairman of the Somerville House Council on 14/06/2017. He was followed by another PMSA Council member Mr David Munro, who resigned as Chairman of the Somerville House Council on 08/08/2017. He was followed by another PMSA Council member Mr Kevin Standish, who resigned as Chairman of the Somerville House Council.

Mr Rob McCall resigned as Chairman of the PMSA on 25/08/2017'

Joint statement by Dr Kelly and Mr Ian MacDonald