By Lachlan Forsyth
The Christchurch student at the centre of a rebellious outbreak among pupils says he wishes he had just kept his head down.
Students had vented their frustrations with a member of staff to Facebook, posting on the wall of a group titled “I Hate Burnside’s New Principal”. The boy who created the page is understood to be horrified at what he started.
Comments made by students 3 News spoke to today show the principal, Warwick Maguire, is not the most popular of figures.
“If he walks in, you’ve all got to stand up. He’s real old school,” says one pupil, Daley Neutze.
“I don’t like him. He’s going to take away mufti next year,” says another pupil, Tim Prior.
Many of the comments posted on the Facebook page are written in typical teen text speak.
“Burnside has always been known for its mufti in yr13…it’s what made burnside UNIQUE… but no…the stupid arss [sic] that doesn’t know s*** bout anything just has to come and f*** everything up GRRRR…” reads one comment.
“The mother f***** needs to be brought down a peg,” reads another.
The comments get darker, with posts such as; “He just has that unlikeable, ominous aura about him. Like the feeling you get when a strange hooded figure follows you halfway down your street.”
Mr Maguire is on leave and was unavailable when 3 News sought comment today.
His deputy, Sandra Sidaway, says while he does insist on students standing when he enters the room, the rest are just rumours.
“Most of the things I have read on there are not based on any kind of fact at all,” she says.
The Principal’s Association says pupil complaints are nothing new, but instead of remaining on the toilet wall they are now in the public domain.
“There could be serious consequences for people if they make comments that could be construed to be defamatory,” says Peter Gall of the Secondary Principal’s Association.
The page has since been removed and the boy is expected to apologise to Mr Maguire.
“He is absolutely distraught,” says Ms Sidaway. “I’ve talked to him this morning, he has learned a hard lesson. Once you put something in the public domain you cannot control it.”
3 News