A teacher has been suspended for three years after sending inappropriate texts and emails to a student and asking her for photographs of herself.
Aurelio ‘Bobby’ Gallo, 53, was a high school music teacher at the prestigious all-girls Methodist Ladies’ College in Perth.
His student Bridget Malcolm received emails, texts and phone calls from the teacher between 2007 and 2008 and after her graduation at the end of the year.
The emails showed Gallo wanted topless photographs from Ms Malcolm after she left school, gifted her a silver charm, and signed off his messages with ‘luv always’.
Gallo had his teaching license suspended after he was found to have committed ‘serious misconduct’ by the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia in August.
A teacher has been suspended for three years after sending inappropriate texts and emails to a student (pictured, Bridget Malcolm) and asking her for photographs of herself
Aurelio ‘Bobby’ Gallo, 53, was a high school music teacher who taught Bridget Malcolm at the prestigious all-girls Methodist Ladies’ College in Perth
The board first received an email about inappropriate behaviour by Gallo in March last year and the complaint was then investigated.
In a document published by the goard detailing the decision to suspend Gallo’s licence, it found the music teacher had engaged in ‘grooming-like behaviour’.
The Board found the pair had initially emailed about school matters but the conversation changed overtime.
Gallo sent an email from his personal account asking for the student’s number on July 14, 2007.
He later sent another two emails after Ms Malcolm and a group of students turned up to his property unannounced during the school holidays in the same month.
‘By the way don’t worry I didn’t mind the stalking the other day,’ he wrote.
‘I will be trying to get something sorted regarding your [instrument] tomorrow, I will let you know how I go if you would like.
‘Will you be dropping by this holiday!! HA HA’
Gallo ended another email with the sign-off ‘love’ and made reference to it again in a separate email sent on December 19, 2007.
Former Victoria’s Secret model Bridget Malcolm, 30, was a student at the prestigious all-girls Methodist Ladies’ College in Perth, and was taught by Bobby Gallo, 53, who has now lost his teaching licence
Malcolm revealed she was the student Gallo had been found to have had ‘serious misconduct’ towards in an emotional video
‘I hope you and your family are having a well deserved rest,’ he wrote. ‘I sincerely wish you a safe and holy Christmas and special new year.
‘By the way thanks for the birthday wish – NOT. Love Mr Gallo – sorry I mean regards Mr Gallo.’
Gallo continued to email Ms Malcolm after she graduated, requesting to see her when she returned to Perth after she moved overseas.
Ms Malcolm went on to become a model who worked with Victoria’s Secret in 2015 and 2016 and for Ralph Lauren and Stella McCartney.
Gallo asked for photographs and complained he hadn’t received any ‘topless’ ones in an email sent on February 2, 2009.
‘Glad to hear that you are being looked after and also becoming aware of people,’ he wrote.
Malcolm received an outpouring of support on social media for her ‘courage and bravery’, with the model saying she’d speak more on the matter at a later date
Malcolm was a teenage student at Perth’s Methodist Ladies’ College (pictured) when Gallo fostered a friendship with her
‘Unfortunately you don’t always see what you need to.
‘The second hand accommodation news was courtesy of [name of another teacher], who went on to tell me that she spoke to you for an hour and inform of the topless photos which you obviously didn’t send me!!! Why not may I ask!’
Gallo sent another email a day later referring to a special charm he had given her.
‘Remember when things get hard hold on to the special charm I gave you and think of all the special things that bring you happiness – I know it will give you strength,’ he wrote.
In another email in March, which Gallo wrote in Italian, the translated message showed him telling Malcolm ‘it seems very difficult at times to say what I want’.
The board found Gallo’s actions ‘constitutes serious misconduct rendering him unfit to be a registered teacher’.
It also found he ‘breached professional boundaries in his inappropriate interactions with the student’.
Gallo admitted to the ‘serious misconduct’ and accepted it was ‘inappropriate’.
He denies grooming Ms Malcolm, and has shown ‘insight and remorse’ into his behaviour, the board found.
Malcolm waked the runway for Victoria’s Secret in 2015 and 2016
The model received texts and emails from her teacher during her final school years and after she graduated
‘The actions of the teacher were out of character and do not reflect his performance or conduct over the course of his career,’ the document read.
The school’s principal, Dr Marie Perry, said the school learnt of the ‘deeply upsetting’ complaint in March last year.
Dr Perry said support has been provided to Ms Malcolm and that none of the inappropriate behaviour was known until the complaint was made.
‘This is a deeply upsetting situation and the college sincerely regrets that one of its students was subjected to such behaviour by a then member of the college staff,’ she told WA Today.
The Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia chose not to reveal the identity of the student at the centre of the scandal.
Ms Malcolm later revealed she was the student in an emotional video posted to Instagram on Saturday.
‘I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not to waive my right to anonymity because I was a minor when it all happened,’ she said.
‘But you know I’m not a minor anymore. I’m still in shock, I’m still processing and I’ve definitely had a lot of feelings today.’
Ms Malcolm received an outpouring of support on social media for her ‘courage and bravery’, with the model saying she’d speak more on the matter at a later date.
The model said it had been an emotional day after learning her high school music teacher had his teaching licence suspended
The 30-year-old had been sent ‘inappropriate’ messages by the teacher via email and text
Malcolm, who is now a mental health advocate, was discovered by modelling scouts on the streets of Perth at the age of 14