User:Greg Michael Mitchell/sandbox

Greg Mitchell is a South African citizen, born in Durban in 1976. He matriculated at Grey High School in Port Elizabeth where he was a promising middle distance athlete. In 1995, whilst at the University of Stellenbosch, he ran the fastest time in South Africa that year for boys u/19, clocking 3:50,05.

Greg made headlines in 2019 when he sued the prestigious Grey College school in Bloemfontein, where he was sexually abused by a primary school teacher, as 10 year old in 1987. The teacher, Alan Priest, who subsequently moved to New Zealand, admitted in writing to Greg that he indeed did sexually abuse him. Greg advised the school about what had happened to him via an email which he sent to Alan Priest and copied the school and various other individuals close to him in. Greg also forwarded Priest's response wherein he admits to sexually abusing him to the school. The school, however, chose not to respond and ignore him on both occasions. It was 1 year later that Greg decided to open a case against the school for their failure to protect him against a sexual predator who was both his class teacher and sports coach. As of March 2021 the case is still sub judice. Priest for his part was banned from teaching in New Zealand where he was still teaching at small school in a small town and is currently facing extradition proceedings back to South Africa to face criminal charges.

Despite this setback during a critical and formative period of his life, Greg has learned to live with and to overcome many of the challenges he faces due to being sexually abused, and were it not for his dogged determination, courage and will to live life on his terms it could have been a different outcome for him as it has been for so many others. In his later years he took control of his life and obtained four qualifications, including qualifying as a Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA), and obtaining a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the top ranked Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in Sandton, Johannesburg.

Greg currently lives in Durban where he is an executive at a successful company. He is an advocate for people who have suffered similar experiences and he is determined to see schools held accountable for the pupils who are left in their care.

Grey College has been on the receiving end of negative publicity around sexual abuse allegations over the past couple of years, which includes the Deon Wigget allegations against Pieter Breytenbach who was a teacher at the school.