Crispin Sonn, Chairperson of the Council of Cape Town’s prestigious boarding school, Bishops Diocesan College had to issue an apology after he wrote a pro-Palestine on his Facebook page.
The post which has since been deleted, left a bitter taste on the Bishops council which led Sonn to apologise for his actions.
In an email exchange seen by IOL, the Bishops council indicated that it had convened to discuss Sonn’s post on Friday after some members were left deeply offended by what he wrote.
“In his submissions to council, Crispin clarified that it was never his intention to single out one particular grouping, nation or belief system for criticism, and that he could have expressed himself more clearly and sensitively to avoid any such misunderstanding of his message,” read the email.
In his reply and subsequent apology, Sonn said after reading many of the comments in response to the post, he realised that the message he had intended to share, had been misunderstood by some people hence he immediately withdrew and deleted the post.
“I want to clarify that my intention was not to single out any particular grouping or belief system, but rather to condemn the harmful practice of dehumanisation in all its forms. I regret that I didn’t articulate what I intended as a non-partisan message more clearly and with greater sensitivity. I’m sorry for the offence my post has caused,” he said in his email.
Sonn added that he was opposed to anti-Semitic behaviour as well as racism. “I believe my public record and conduct over a lifetime stand in testimony of this,” he said.
“I trust that any anger around my since-deleted Facebook post can be put to rest, and that we can collectively refocus on building on the excellent foundations laid at Bishops over a period already approaching two centuries,” he added in his apology.
IOL reached out to Sonn for further comment but his phone was not answered and a WhatsApp text message was not replied to.
Earlier, IOL reported that the school had instituted disciplinary action against seven learners who allegedly assaulted a fellow classmate at the boarding facility.
The teen was so badly beaten that he had to be rushed to hospital. The school confirmed that the injured learner has since been discharged.
In response to IOL's questions on the assault, Bishops stated that the learners have been charged with breaching the school's Code of Conduct, and further for breaching its anti-bullying policy.
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