"We are so sorry and we let you down," Dr Tinsey wrote. Edmund Rice Education has initiated a cultural review of St Kevin's College, a day after Victoria's education watchdog launched a review of whether the school breached the state's child safety standards. Meanwhile, the school's dean of sport, Luke Travers, who staunchly defended former volunteer coach and convicted child groomer Peter Kehoe, has been formally stood down. Two other teachers at the school have also been stood down while they are investigated by Edmund Rice Education. Their identities remain private. Mr Russell sent a letter to parents and guardians on Wednesday saying he had quit, effective immediately, in the interests of the Toorak school and its students.

Illustration: Matt Golding Credit: "In my time at St Kevin’s I have always tried to put the school before self and the students’ wellbeing at the very top of my list of priorities," he wrote. "I believe the current situation means that the best way to achieve this is to resign." Mr Russell's letter did not directly address the barrage of criticism he has faced this week over the school's management of a child-grooming court case in 2015 involving a former year 9 student and a volunteer athletics coach.

He said the school community had nurtured him and his family for 24 years and concluded by writing he was "humbled by the many offers of support and expressions of goodwill I have recently received". A mother whose sons attend the school said there was widespread relief in the school community that Mr Russell had stood down. Loading "Parents are very relieved. There is an overwhelming sense of relief and also disappointment that he kept this under wraps for five years," she said. "None of us knew about Kehoe and we had no idea about these poor boys."

The mother added she felt betrayed by Mr Russell, who gave a speech to hundreds of St Kevin’s College mothers at an event last week. Mr Russell urged the school community to band together ahead of Monday's Four Corners episode, the mother said. "We gave him a standing ovation out of support, not realising what was about to be portrayed." Mr Russell has faced public pressure to resign this week after the ABC's Four Corners reported he gave a reference in court to Kehoe, who was convicted in 2015 of the sexual grooming of year 9 St Kevin's student Paris Street. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video The reference was "limited and factual", Mr Russell said this week, but he also expressed regret for writing it and said he would not do so today.

Mr Travers also wrote a character reference for Kehoe and defended him in court. Mr Travers told Paris Street during a meeting between the senior teacher and the student that he considered Kehoe's grooming a "storm in a teacup" and he "didn't want to see him convicted", Four Corners reported. He has been formally stood down pending an investigation into his actions. Edmund Rice executive director Dr Tinsey released a statement to the St Kevin's College community on Wednesday announcing that Mr Crowley had been appointed St Kevin's new principal. Mr Crowley infamously took Cardinal George Pell on a tour of the St Patrick's school grounds shortly before Ballarat hearings in the royal commission on institutional responses to child sexual abuse.

He later said the decision was "naive" and he removed Pell's name from the school's honour boards and from a school building when the cardinal was convicted of child abuse offences. Pell has appealed his conviction in the High Court. On Monday, St Kevin’s sister school, Sacre Coeur – an independent Catholic school in Glen Iris – said it would "place a hold” on its relationship with St Kevin’s until it was satisfied the school was in compliance with child safety standards. In a statement, the Sacre Coeur's principal and chair said the decision was based on advice from the management body for Catholic schools in the state, Catholic Education Melbourne. Dr Tinsey said the handling of child welfare by St Kevin's had fallen short of community standards.

"No student should ever have to go through what Paris Street did and no family should either," he wrote. "[Edmund Rice] accepts the gravity of the matters raised in recent days. "Business as usual is not an option for St Kevin’s in response to these issues, which need to be addressed as a matter of priority. It is clear that what has occurred has fallen short of what the community expects, and what we expect of ourselves." The state education watchdog, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority, is reviewing if St Kevin's has breached child safety standards in light of this week's reports. If you or anyone you know needs support call Lifeline 131 114, or beyondblue 1300 224 636.