CathNews New Zealand

A report was published by a number of news outlets last Thursday, including CathNews, about disciplinary action taken against a group of pupils at St Bede’s College in Christchurch who had posted racist abuse on online rugby forums.

The report said that among the actions the boys’ names were now “registered with the Human Rights Commission”.

The Commission was approached by a person to express his concern at the racial abuse. The Commission has responded to that person and worked with the school to resolve the issue. However the boys’ names are not “registered” with the Human Rights Commission. The Commission does not hold registers of people’s names.

The three worst offenders in the St Bede’s College racism row will not receive their honours pockets this year or will have them stripped.

Seven of the students were involved with inappropriate and racist comments on Facebook after St Bede’s lost to Wesley College at the national secondary schools rugby tournament.

Rector Justin Boyle said “incredible damage” was done and the students now had their names registered with the Human Rights Commission.

They also knew any future employer would be able to Google their names and see what they had been up to on Facebook.