Mater Dei Catholic College has been rattled by an alleged bullying incident that has seen at least three students expelled. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
A parent of a student who was expelled from Mater Dei College following alleged “serious bullying behaviour” claims her son was unfairly treated and that the school did not follow due process.
On Monday 16 March, the Catholic Education of the Diocese of Wagga (CEDWW) wrote to parents to inform them of actions it had taken following an alleged incident at the college that occurred four weeks earlier, on Ash Wednesday 18 February.
While not providing details of the incident, the letter stated it was “serious bullying behaviour towards a student” that was reported to NSW Police and that the police investigation had “now concluded and no charges have been made at this time”.
“Following the conclusion of the investigation and a careful review of the circumstances, Catholic Education Diocese of Wagga Wagga has determined that, due to the seriousness of the behaviour and the level of involvement of certain students, the enrolment of some students will cease”, the letter stated.
A parent of one of these students, who asked not be be named, believes her child was harshly treated.
“They interviewed the kids without us [the parents] even being aware or contacted; there was no procedural fairness from the beginning,” she told Region.
“There was no finding of wrongdoing from the police, yet our child has been expelled. It feels like the school used our kids as scapegoats.”
A CEDWW spokesperson declined to respond to the parent’s claim that her son was unjustly expelled, but made the following comment.
“The school is managing the incident with each student strictly in accordance with established policies and procedures,” the spokesperson said.
NSW Police has confirmed it is investigating the incident.
“On Thursday 19 February 2026, NSW Police were notified of an alleged incident at a school in Wagga Wagga. The matter is now under investigation, and no further information can be released at this time,” a police spokesperson said.
Another parent who spoke to Region questioned why it took the school four weeks to inform them about the incident.
“I also wish to apologise that it has not been possible to write to you earlier regarding this matter. Given the seriousness and sensitivity of the situation, it was important that the appropriate investigations were completed before further communication was provided,” the CEDWW letter to parents stated.
This parent also showed Region a letter a Mater Dei College staffer sent to parents on Wednesday 11 March informing them of the school’s concerns about “inappropriate use of the college toilet facilities”.
“Staff have observed a number of behaviours occurring in the toilets that are not appropriate for a school environment,” the letter stated.
“These behaviours include students congregating in large groups, using mobile phones, eating, graffiti and vandalism, damaging property and more than one student occupying a toilet stall at the same time.”
The letter warned that any student who breached toilet rules more than once would be suspended.
Gary Delpiano exactly! I’m happy to pay for my meal and drinks, but I have no desire to pay for… View