Malka Leifer protested her innocence in tears as she was stood down, County Court trial hears
Key points:
- One former staff member detailed how Mrs Leifer protested her innocence at a board meeting in the wake of the allegations
- The court heard how the school took "measures" such as putting a window in the door of the principal's office after accusations of sexual abuse came to light
- Mrs Leifer, who has denied the abuse took place, was described by defence lawyers as a "particularly hard-working teacher"
Warning: This story contains details of allegations of sexual abuse.
Mrs Leifer, 56, has pleaded not guilty to abusing three sisters while she was principal of the ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel Jewish School in Melbourne's south-east.
Esther Spigelman, a former department head at the school, told the County Court trial she attended a board meeting when Mrs Leifer was stood down.
During cross examination, Ms Spigelman agreed Mrs Leifer was in tears at the meeting.
"Did she say 'I did nothing wrong'?" defence lawyer Ian Hill asked, "and what was happening was unfair?".
Ms Spigelman answered "yes" to both questions.
Prosecutors allege Mrs Leifer, now 56, abused the sisters in staff offices, on camps and at her home.
Sisters Dassi Erlich, Nicole Meyer and Elly Sapper allege the offences occurred while they were students of the Adass Israel School, and when they worked there as junior religious studies teachers.
During the trial, prosecutors claimed the sisters had little understanding about sex when the alleged offences occurred, due to their strict religious upbringing.
On Monday, Ms Erlich's ex-husband said she initially spoke of Ms Leifer "in glowing terms" and considered her a trusted confidante.
He said Ms Erlich's attitude towards Ms Leifer changed in 2008, when she made disclosures about Ms Leifer to a counsellor in Israel.
Staff describe how Mrs Leifer closely mentored student teachers
Three years later the campus underwent renovations, Adass Israel School's executive head Jennifer Measey told the court.
She said a window was installed in the door of the principal's office and two walls were knocked down, meaning part of the office could be combined with a classroom.
Ms Measey said the door handles were changed, and large cloth dividers were removed from some rooms.
"We took a lot of measures," Ms Measey said.
During her tenure as principal, Ms Measey said Mrs Leifer's duties included looking after "the welfare and education of the girls" at the school.
"She would make sure any materials given to the students were appropriate, according to the ethos and philosophy of the school," Ms Measey told the court.
Another staff member, Sharon Bromberg, said sex education was not taught at the school, and agreed a "typical family" from the Adass Israel community would not have access to things like televisions or newspapers.
Ms Bromberg said Mrs Leifer's role meant she closely mentored student teachers, meeting them at her home and in private in her office, sometimes on Sundays.
Ms Bromberg said Mrs Leifer was a busy mother of eight children, and agreed with defence lawyer Ian Hill that she was a "particularly hard-working teacher".
When asked by Mr Hill whether Ms Leifer "led by example", Ms Bromberg took a deep sigh and paused.
"I'm not 100 per cent comfortable with that phrase," she said.
The trial continues.
