Top Aussie students in Facebook scandal

TWO TOP Aussie schools are embroiled in an ethnic row after two Facebook groups started by senior students were found to be packed full of antisemitic comments.

Scots College in Bellevue Hill created a Facebook webpage called Jew Parking Appreciation Group, which describes "Jew parking" as something that often happens at "Bellevue (Jew) Hill".

More than 51 members are involved in the group, which links to The Scots Year 12 Boys, 2008, and The Scots College networks, and is administered by Scots students.

It connects to another Facebook group created and officiated by Scots College students, which displays calls to "support Holocaust denial" and links to another group called "F--- Israel and Their Holocaust Bullshit".

Just to make sure that the web pages offend everyone, their designs mock the style of Islamic websites.

One of the four people looking after the second group webpage is a student from the posh Kambala School for Girls in Rose Bay. The site has 47 members.

A Scots College kid said that he could understand how Jewish people might be offended by the webpages, but that the boys were not actually racists.

He said the Facebook groups were part of a "big in-joke" shared among students from eastern suburbs' private schools. He said "we have Jewish friends and girlfriends," although it was not clear if they called their friends " Jewish Rats and F**king Mercedes Jews" like they do on the website.

The webpage also displays sexist slurs against women that - if made to any Australian woman's face - would probably lead to an Aussie bloke never having children and speaking in a squeaky voice for the rest of his life.

The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies contacted The Scots College yesterday to lodge a complaint about the groups.

The principal of The Scots College, Ian Lambert, said the school would never condone any level of ethic hatred and abuse although he didn't say what he was prepared to do about it.

The principal of Kambala, Margaret White, said she would be very surprised if any of her girls were involved. After all, well bred Australian girls from good families are never racists are they? µ

L'Inq
Sydney Morning Herald