Sydney Boys high school group, which was formerly public, locked by moderators after debate

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The alumni group of Scott Morrison’s high school has been engulfed in debate after former students said they were “embarrassed” to be associated with him.

The Sydney Boys high school alumni Facebook group has been flooded with fiery exchanges since the former treasurer, who attended the school from 1980-1985, was sworn in as prime minister last month.

The group – formerly a public forum – has now been locked by moderators after pages of heated debate.

The furore began after one alumnus wrote on 24 August: “Great to have an Old Boy as PM – he will make a great PM.”

“Doesn’t say much about the science faculty that he is a climate denialist,” said one reply.

“I feel shame that our school generated such a bigot,” said another.

Critics said they opposed Morrison’s record on climate change, LGBT rights and his legacy as immigration minister that involved a hardening of Australia’s offshore detention policy under Operation Sovereign Borders.

“I did not know him at school, but I have seen this reprehensible dolt wield his powers to the detriment of us all,” wrote one. “Evil … Now I am very embarrassed to have gone to school with him.”

“You are definitely not talking on behalf of SBHS Old Boys,” said another former student. “His political actions are a disgrace to humanity and his Christian hypocrisy is mind-boggling. Hardly someone to hold up as a model of what SBHS turned out.”

But others defended Morrison, including those who had known him at school.

“I knew Scott from 1977 all through high school,” said one alum, “and [evil] is not who he is.”

Another wrote: “I’m proud to see a second SHS PM.”

The school’s first graduate to become prime minister was Country party leader Earle Page, who held the office for only 19 days after Joseph Lyons suddenly died in office in 1939.

On Friday night, after weeks of debate, one poster appealed for calm.

“Chaps, the posts I’ve seen recently in this forum have been bizarre and demonstrated our worst selves,” he wrote. “I joined this forum as a touch point for news about High, not to read a postmodern Lord of the Flies.”

In response, one commenter called him a “cunt”.

The current furore is not the first time that Morrison’s old classmates have objected to his association with the school.

In 2015, 300 alumni wrote a scathing open letter after Morrison was invited to speak at a school fundraising event.

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Signatories, including the former supreme court judge Hal Wootten and journalist John Pilger, criticised Morrison for “flagrantly disregarding human rights”.

“In his capacity as Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Morrison was at best complicit, and at worst the chief protagonist, in advocating offshore immigration detention policies that violate the United Nations Convention against Torture,” the letter read.

Compared with other politicians and previous prime ministers, Morrison’s attendance at the public selective school also makes him somewhat unusual.

“I’m no fan of Morrison,” wrote one old boy. “But he’s the first Liberal leader since John Howard who didn’t go to a private school, so says something for diversity perhaps?”

• On 9 September, 2018, this article was corrected. A previous version said Scott Morrison attended the school in the ’70s.