COLLEGE RECANTS ON DRUG SUSPENSION OF 11 PUPILS

A JEWISH college in Sydney's eastern suburbs has been forced to back down
on its decision to suspend 11 boys for buying and selling drugs in the
school playground.

In what was started as a test case in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday,
Moriah College later agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to the boys and their
families in an out-of-court settlement.

The agreement demands that the suspensions be revoked and that the boys
suffer no damage to their reputation.

But few, if any, boys are believed to be considering returning to the school.

The action was brought against the co-educational Jewish school by the
parents of one of the boys, who claimed the school had overreacted to
claims they were dealing cannabis at school.

The boys, ranging from Years 8 to 12, were suspended in August this year
until the beginning of first term 2001.

Following the suspensions, students at the school protested to reverse
principal Roy Steinman's stance on the issue, chanting slogans such as
"good kids, bad decision".

Eight of the 11 boys opted to leave the $10,000-a-year college and enrolled
in another Jewish school, Masada College, on Sydney's north shore.