[Daily Mail] Islamic students at a Sydney private school threatened to behead non-Muslim staff and declared themselves ISIS sympathizers, staff alleged. Police feared students at Punchbowl Boys High School were being radicalized after principal Chris Griffiths did not cooperate with a de-radicalization program.Griffiths and deputy principal Joumana Dennaoiu were removed from their roles at the Muslim-majority school after an investigation by the Education Department. The two were stood down for allegedly stopping female teachers from participating in official events such as the Year 12 graduation ceremony, and other issues.
Several employees claimed non-Muslim staff were verbally attacked, including with threats of beheading, by Muslim students declaring themselves ISIS sympathizers. Not only were these incidents not reported to police, the 'actively hostile' relations were so bad police liaison officers couldn't access the government school for the past 2.5 years.
Officers said Griffiths converted to Islam in 2014 and claimed relations between police and the school broke down after he was appointed two years ago. A senior constable said, "Students were being told that if 'the pigs' stop you, to film them and refuse their directions. The students were being led down a dangerous path by the principal. We had concerns about radicalization."
The Education Department said it conducted an "extensive appraisal of the school's policies, procedures and management", prompted by a series of serious staff complaints in 2016, before removing the pair. It said the investigation revealed "a high level of staff disunity and disharmony" and "increased disengagement" of the school from the community.
Griffith's predecessor Jihad Dib, who is now the NSW state MP for Lakemba, said exclusion of any kind was wrong. Under Dib's leadership, the school was transformed from a campus controlled by Middle Eastern gangs where violence and drug dealing were common, to a high performer with much better literacy and numeracy rates.