Melbourne mother Helen* says alleged child sex offender Joshua Dale Brown should have been “removed from the sector” two years ago after he was investigated for dropping her one-year-old baby at Creative Garden Early Learning Centre Point Cook.
“This individual should not be allowed to work with any children,” she told 7.30.
The incident with Helen’s son occurred in April 2023.
The centre’s manager at the time told her the incident would be investigated by centre owner G8 Education and that another team member had witnessed the alleged “misconduct”.
Helen says there were “early alarm bells” about Mr Brown, including the incident involving her child in 2023. (ABC News: Nicholas White)
Emails obtained by 7.30 reveal Helen repeatedly sought updates on the progress of the complaint into Mr Brown.
Helen’s email exchange with the centre manager the day after the incident. (ABC News)
Email from Helen:
“Has there been any progress re: the incident at the centre yesterday?”
Response from centre manager:
“I sent off the documentation to the department for notification and currently completing documentation to send to CCYP … (which is the Victorian Commission for Children and Young People) the educator has been removed from the room during the investigation process and is not being left isolated in rooms with other children.”
Helen believed the centre’s response did not go far enough.
“They are our most vulnerable in society and yet we are letting, we’re allowing someone around them who can only work under supervision. What kind of safeguarding is that?” Helen said.
The allegations against Mr Brown are related to his time working at Creative Garden Early Learning Centre Point Cook. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher)
One week after that email Helen followed up again with Creative Garden Early Learning Centre as to why normal reporting protocol wasn’t followed.
Helen’s email exchange with the centre manager a week after the incident. (ABC News)
Email from Helen a week later:
“Could I please ask why there hasn’t been an incident report for what happened?”
Response from centre manager:
“The educator who witnessed the incident is on annual leave.”
Helen said there were “constant excuses such as ‘a staff member was on holidays’, ‘we weren’t able to conduct this and this review’ … which I think given the seriousness of the incident, is not good enough”.
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After waiting for five months Helen received the outcome of G8 Education’s investigation into Mr Brown, in August 2023.
An email from the centre manager to Helen about the outcome of the investigation. (ABC News)
Email from centre manager:
“An internal investigation was completed internally with permission from the Department of Education, the investigation was found substantiated due to ‘recklessness’. The team member has been given an official written warning, is completing a performance improvement plan and will not be left in isolation until the performance improvement plan has been passed. The Department and CCYP have agreed with this outcome and have now closed the case for us to continue disciplinary actions.”
“‘Recklessness’ is an empty word,” Helen said.
“There is little definition to these words, and we still don’t really know what happened or why.
“I don’t feel I know what happened.”
Helen says she still doesn’t really know what happened to her child during the incident. (ABC News: Nicholas White)
Last Friday 7.30 requested an interview with G8 Education’s CEO Pejman Okhovat to ask about the company’s complaints process and employment of Mr Brown.
By Saturday afternoon G8 Education had sent a mass email confirming Mr Brown had been the subject of two internal investigations, the first investigation involving Helen’s son.
In the email G8 Education admitted:
“Mr Brown aggressively picked up and put down and did not uphold the dignity and rights of a child in his care by not supporting that child while they were upset.”
The email also said Mr Brown went on leave for three months between when the incident happened and when they wrapped up the investigation.
Helen has not been contacted by Creative Garden Early Learning Centre or G8 Education since August 2023.
‘There were early alarm bells’
Creative Garden Early Learning Centre Point Cook is owned by G8 Education. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher)
Creative Garden Early Learning Centre notified Helen in April 2023 the complaint had been referred to the Victorian Department for Education and the Victorian Commission for Children and Young People.
Sexual assault support lines:
- 1800 Respect National Helpline: 1800 737 732
- Lifeline (24-hour crisis line): 131 114
- Full Stop Australia: 1800 385 578
- Bravehearts: counselling and support for survivors of child sexual abuse: 1800 272 831
- Child Wise: counselling provider: 1800 991 099
The acting Principal Children’s Commissioner Meena Singh refused to comment, citing “ongoing investigations”.
But in statement to 7.30 she went on to justify why incidents may not be referred to the Department of Government Services for a review of Working With Children Checks, saying some incidents “would be better addressed through training or supervision”.
The Victorian department of education refused to comment on Helen’s complaint or 7.30’s request for a statement.
A spokesperson for the federal department of education said it was “not aware of any complaints made regarding the conduct of Joshua Dale Brown”.
Mr Brown was arrested on May 12 and has been charged by Victoria Police with 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims at the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook.
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He is set to appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on September 15.
“We had this exposure to him in an unpleasant way, and there were these [other] incidents. So to me there were early alarm bells that went off and no one took them seriously,” Helen said.
*Helen’s name has been changed due to legal concerns.
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