The "Year of Justice" T-shirt worn by St John's students shows an eagle (the college symbol), which is blindfolded and vomiting. Credit:Amanda Parkinson University of Sydney honorary professor Roslyn Arnold said she quit the St John's executive this semester because she was ''ashamed to belong to such a group''. ''Anarchy has broken out and anarchy is not too strong a word,'' Professor Arnold said. ''An external review of the governance of the college needs to be conducted urgently because the fellows are responsible for what happens on campus … I've been in universities for almost 40 years and, to be quite frank, I've never seen anything like this. ''In the external world, the incidents taking place could be considered criminal. I believe Cardinal Pell is the person who is ultimately called if things spiral out of control and become really tricky. In my opinion, we are well past that stage.''

The college's honorary dean, Father Walter Fogarty, also resigned earlier this year after nine years of service as a fellow. He said: ''I lost confidence in where the council was going and am concerned about the dynamics of some of the old boys. There is a Peter Pan complex.'' Insiders report that college rector Michael Bongers has maintained a hardline stance against ritual abuse. A Sun-Herald investigation has found he is not only battling students with a mob-rule mentality, he has also been consistently undermined by some of the college's fellows. Among them are several old Johnsmen who appear determined to preserve the college's outdated traditions. In developments yesterday, a senior college source claimed Mr Bongers would be axed on Monday, stating: ''Some of the fellows feel that certain traditions are to be protected and that protection means the rector must go.'' Mr Bongers refused to comment but a source close to him stated: ''He is aware of what's coming''. In March this year, The Sun-Herald revealed all was not well behind the sandstone walls of the residential college, situated on the University of Sydney campus.

Four female first-year students were ''tried'' before a crowd of seniors and pressured to down a toxic cocktail of shampoo, sour milk, dog food, Tabasco sauce and alcohol. One girl in particular objected to the ritual known as ''justice'' - and for good reason: she suffers a rare condition that triggers severe stomach bleeding if she vomits. She was later rushed to hospital by ambulance and, after making a full recovery, was transferred to a new college. In an unprecedented move, Bongers suspended all 33 students who had been present at the ritual and when he later failed to flush out the ringleaders, he demanded they all serve between 15 and 20 hours of community service. In a further attempt to stamp out initiations in the future, he banned the entire group from standing for office in the college's house executive. But a Sun-Herald investigation reveals that, since then, a report was compiled for the college by former Federal Court Judge Roger Gyles. He didn't exonerate the students, upholding the suspension, but did excuse the boys from community service, and said it would be "double jeopardy" to also deny them the right to stand for election to the students' council. The reversal hampered the rector's authority, but insiders claim the ''turning point'' came last month when he tried to expel one of the same boys for setting off a fire extinguisher and causing damage. A student source said: ''The Student Club presented the College Council with a dodgy petition to say he should be invited back - so he was invited back. From that day on, the group have considered themselves more powerful than the rector. They've turned tribal, causing tens of thousands of dollars in property damage [on campus]. In modern-day terms, it's like stepping into The Twilight Zone.'' Less than a fortnight ago, some first-year students were pressured into a ritual dubbed ''iron guts'' that involves the consumption of raw mince, eggs and fish guts. And rather than show remorse over the ritual which nearly killed a fellow student, students have named themselves the Justice Group and distributed crude T-shirts championing the incident. The T-shirts feature the slogan ''Year of Justice'' and also display an eagle (the college symbol), which is blindfolded and vomiting. In reference to the group's latest triumph over Mr Bongers, the bird is also brandishing a fire extinguisher.

On October 21, many of the group wore the shirts as they strolled around Sydney on a pub crawl, after dragging a college couch onto the lawn outside the Rector's office window and torching it. Three days before, Mr Bongers had sent a stern email to the students, informing them police had been called in to investigate ''the worst case of vandalism I have ever witnessed here''. He spoke of smashed glass doors across three floors of the college's Polding wing as well as numerous smashed windows ''one recently refurbished with European glass''. He observed broken glass and ''faeces'' had been left on the fresher bathroom floor and flipped beds had been dumped along the fresher corridor. He also referred to a crude message and a third-year female student's phone number that was graffitied onto the circular driveway in front of the college tower. He warned that the college executive would investigate. The Sun-Herald understands an inquiry never occurred. In a further blow to existing students and the freshers that will arrive in February, the recent student council elections saw seven of the nine positions taken out by members of the Justice Group, including the top three of president, secretary and treasurer. One female student, who described herself as ''victimised'' but did not wish to be named, spelt out the likely repercussions: ''They will now run and set the culture of all our events and functions, initiate freshers and 'represent' the students to both admin and the council. It's history repeating itself.''

Professor Arnold warned that until the council was ''robustly committed to eradicating the toxicity within the college'', both the Catholic Church and the university would continue to ''suffer collateral damage''. Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey are among the many renowned old boys, or Johnsmen, that have passed through the college. Mr Bongers had been headhunted in 2009 to drag the college out of the dark ages and eradicate its many questionable ''old-boy'' traditions. Professor Arnold said: ''He was asked to try and change college culture - which is the toughest call I know in any university environment. To his credit, and despite serious opposition from all angles, he has never shifted from trying to achieve that.'' In 2010, Mr Bongers stumbled on the entire list of college legends and traditions, some in code. They were decades behind the social standards of the 21st-century and he wanted them scrapped. Others felt differently.

The father of the poisoned girl said: ''I would recommend no parent send their young adult to St John's because clearly there is no commitment from the board to address the problems ingrained there.'' A spokeswoman for Cardinal Pell said he had returned to Australia from Rome on Friday night, already ''fully aware of the issues'' at St John's. She added he would be briefed on further developments and would view any inappropriate behaviour ''extremely seriously.'' 'I was forced to do things that I would never want to speak about' WHEN I came to this college, I thought it was the beginning of a new future. A place I could proudly call my home, an institution that nourished my sporting spirit and academic abilities. A castle in the middle of the city, with a noble heritage, distinguished alumni and that sense of pride that comes with being a part of a university that ranks among the top in the country. It did not take long to uncover the truth. In my first week, I was subjected to humiliating ''fresherisation'', a tradition that teaches the first-year students the rules of the house.

The peer pressure is enormous and impossible to explain. I was forced to do things that I would never want to speak about again. Unfortunately, the first week is only the beginning. Every single day I was witness to a vindictive culture that propagates racist, homophobic and sexist conduct among the students. Exacerbated by a mob mentality that suppresses their individualism and moral compass. I can just imagine now the Johnsmen and Jets reading this in a group and condemning my words, too scared to agree with them, even though they know in their heart of hearts it is the truth. I know how that feels. I, too, will be in that group condemning these words, because if they knew I wrote them, I would live in constant fear of reprisal. You may call me a coward, but you have not seen what I have seen. I know what happens to people who speak against the house. They are ostracised and subjected to horrible and vicious slander. Your door can be kicked in, your room vandalised, and your possessions stolen or strewn across the college. You will receive disgusting and intimidating notes that threaten further retaliation and demand you leave the house. You live in fear, constantly worried about tomorrow, and watching your friends disown you for fear they too will be punished. I have had this happen to me, and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. There are brilliant and talented students that reside in this college. Every time we accomplish something great, it is diluted by the stupidity, and at times, criminal behaviour, of students here. The whole student club is a farce and do not demonstrate leadership in tackling these issues. The college council should never have allowed this to happen if they had the best interests of the college at heart. They should be united behind the rector who is trying to stop this grotesque culture. There is so much opportunity here and so many good students who want this to stop. It is not too late to turn it into the place I would be proud to call my home. Year of discontent

MARCH Female student poisoned and hospitalised in ''Justice'' ritual involving a cocktail of dog food, shampoo, sour milk, tabasco sauce and alcohol. 33 students immediately suspended. APRIL After deliberation, college rector Michael Bongers hits students with double punishment of community service and a ban on running for the student council executive. They appeal.

College executive Roslyn Arnold resigns in protest. JULY Student breaks school code and causes property damage with fire extinguisher. Bongers expels student. The boy immediately appeals. AUGUST Supreme Court Judge Roger Giles overturns both punishments inflicted by Bongers for the student poisoning in March but upholds suspension.

SEPTEMBER The college fellows overturn the fire extinguisher-related expulsion and power shifts to the students. OCTOBER Mob rule takes hold. In the final month of the school year, students rampage across college. eduff@fairfax.com.au

Twitter: @eamonnduff Correction: The original version of this story said that former Supreme Court Judge Roger Giles had compiled a report for St John's College. In fact, it was former Federal Court Judge Roger Gyles.





