A GRIFFITH counsellor has slammed comments made by a former Griffith primary school principal.
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Calare Public School principal Christian Cundy outraged parents and disability groups when he labelled students who may be bullying victims or have mental health problems as "morons", "nut cases" and "village idiots".
Mr Cundy made the comments in a newsletter to staff.
In the newsletter Mr Cundy said he wanted teachers to identify students "suffering from undue anxiety, lacking any resilience, poor socialising skills, two heads, webbed feet and village idiots".
In the letter, he also said: "I will send out a well-scripted letter in week four starting off have you bred a moron? You might like to access the services of Calare's new initiative, 'Operation Nutcase'. Sign on the dotted line or leave your thumbprint if you cannot write."
A local counsellor said Mr Cundy's comments were a step backwards in encouraging people to come forward if they were the victim of bullying.
"To be calling them morons and village idiots, he's really living in the dark ages," she said.
"There are so many people being bullied and it's really a backwards step with all of the moves to raise awareness."
She said bullying victims should seek help and people who witnessed bullying should report it or ask the victim R U OK?
Mr Cundy was reprimanded, made to apologise and undergo counselling.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education and Communities (DEC) said the principal "appreciates that the material was unacceptable and apologises for any offence it caused".
"He has undertaken not to include any material of this nature in future staff newsletters," the spokesperson said.
The DEC spokesperson said Mr Cundy had not been suspended, but had been formally counselled by the department.
"The Department stresses that the material is contrary to the values of public education and the school's track record of support for students with disabilities and other learning needs," the spokesperson said.