Students from Georges River College at Oatley have been suspended after a video showing them yelling and abusing a developmentally disabled young man went viral.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Commuter Chelsea Jane secretly filmed the abuse while on a Sydney train travelling on the Illawarra and Eastern Suburbs line on Monday afternoon.
The 40 second video was posted on Facebook and has since been viewed more than 350,000 times.
In the post Ms Jane said she was fuming.
“I am absolutely disgusted by what just happened,’’ she said.
In the video a group of students can be seen yelling, laughing and mocking the man who stands by the door on his own.
A NSW Department of Education spokesman said they apologised to the young person involved.
“The behaviour of students involved in this incident is completely unacceptable,” he said.
“The conduct of these students is totally contrary to the high behaviour standard and values expected of all NSW public school students.
“All students involved in this incident will be suspended, and their parents will be fully informed about the reason for the disciplinary action.’’
Students filmed bullying disabled man on South Coast train line | video
A video showing school students bullying a young man on a train is going viral for all the wrong reasons.
Witnessing the attack on Monday while travelling on the Illawarra and South Coast Line, Chelsea Jane, took out her phone and started recording; stopping only after the group allegedly threatened to hit her.
Jane posted the video on Facebook asking anyone who recognises the students to come forward.
"I am FUMING. How DARE these disrespectful pigs (in GRC Oatley uniforms) mock and taunt a disabled passenger," she wrote on Facebook alongside the video.
"If anyone recognises the people in this video please let me know. I am absolutely disgusted by what just happened and if I didn't fear for my own safety around these losers I would've gone down there to put a stop to it myself. Absolute filth."
The video, which has been viewed more than 300,000 times, shows a group of students from Georges River College in Oatley mocking a young man who can be seen standing near the door of the carriage.
In the video, one of the boys can be heard saying: "Next stop what's next stop. Anybody know what the next stop is. Okay!"
While the reaction on Jane's Facebook page has been negative towards the students, some questioned why she didn't intervene.
"To film it rather than do the right thing and intervene?" wrote one user, "That's the problem with society today, too much talk and not enough action."
But Jane didn't want to put herself or her mother, who she was travelling with, in "danger".
"Once they noticed I was filming they threatened to hit me, I was with my mum and didn't want to risk putting either of us in any kind of danger," Jane wrote on Facebook.
A department spokesperson for the NSW Department of Education told Essential Kids, "The behaviour of students involved in this incident is completely unacceptable, and the Department apologises to the young person involved.
"The conduct of these students is totally contrary to the high behaviour standard and values expected of all NSW public school students.
"All students involved in this incident will be suspended, and their parents will be fully informed about the reason for the disciplinary action."
A police spokeswoman confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that officers were investigating the incident.
Police are calling on any other passengers who witnessed the attack to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
