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The former headmaster of one of Melbourne’s most prestigious private schools has pleaded guilty to fraud after it was discovered he didn’t have any teaching qualifications.
Former Caulfield Grammar School headmaster Neil Lennie, 72, entered the pleas in the County Court of Victoria on Wednesday to four counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception.
Prosecutor John Dickie said Lennie taught at four schools over his decades-long teaching career, earning $843,000 in wages to which he was not entitled.
But in character references tendered to the court, former staff and students spoke glowingly of Lennie’s abilities as a teacher.
Sharon Lewin, described by the judge as one of Australia’s “pre-eminent scientists”, said she didn’t realise at the time that Lennie’s encouragement of her, as a female student interested in science, was unusual.
An infectious disease expert and founding director of the The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Professor Lewin has been a leading figure in Victoria’s coronavirus fight.
She said Lennie was “one of the most outstanding teachers she ever had”, through a reference read by Lennie’s lawyer Ian Hill.
“She credits him with her enduring love of science, pursuit of academic excellence and self-belief,” he said.
Her reference said: “I remember him very clearly telling me that I was capable of doing anything in life and to shoot for the stars.”
“As a young woman in the 1970s, I now understand that type of encourage for women in science was most unusual.”
Mr Hill said Lennie felt shame, regret and a “profound sense of humiliation”.
He said he had made an “extraordinary contribution”.
But Mr Dickie said Lennie was motivated by greed and unfairly benefited himself over other teachers that were qualified.
The lie began in 1976 when Lennie was 27, after he had started and dropped out of several degrees.
He “falsely” told Mount Scopus Memorial College he was registered as a teacher and had worked at several schools, Mr Dickie said.
Lennie worked at Mount Scopus Memorial College for more than a decade, going on to work at Haileybury College, Caulfield Grammar — where he was headmaster — and Overnewton Anglican Community College — where he was deputy principal.
“Caulfield Grammar School would not have employed Mr Lennie in his role had it been aware that he did not have the qualifications he falsely claimed,” Mr Dickie said.
He started but didn’t complete five different courses in his lifetime, including at Melbourne University, RMIT, Deakin University and TAFE, the court heard.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
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