Roedean rejected allegations of discriminatory conduct against King David and emphasised its commitment to its learners and the broader school community
Conflicting accounts have emerged between Roedean School South Africa and King David Linksfield High School over the cancellation of a scheduled inter-school tennis fixture on 3 February, with both schools publishing formal statements outlining different versions of events and the dispute drawing in communal and regulatory bodies.
The controversy escalated after King David circulated a signed letter to its community, dated 9 February and setting out its version of events leading up to the cancelled match.
In the letter, signed by chairperson Alan Joffe and general director Rabbi Ricky Seeff, King David states that Roedean’s head of school phoned at about 8.15am on 2 February and raised concerns that a group of parents did not want the match to proceed because they would be playing a Jewish school.
The letter states that no reference was made during that call to prior academic commitments or compulsory workshops.
King David says that at about 9.30am it received an email from Roedean’s head of sport confirming that the match would be forfeited due to other academic commitments and that the email was acknowledged at 10.28am.
King David says a further call later that day indicated that the issue had been resolved and the match would proceed. The school states that it attended on that basis on 3 February, only to be informed that Roedean’s players were unavailable due to geography workshops.
King David described the cancellation as resulting from “anti-Semitic actions”. It requested an unequivocal apology and a commitment that future fixtures would proceed as scheduled.
In a statement issued late on Monday, Roedean rejected allegations of discriminatory conduct and emphasised its commitment to its learners and the broader school community.
“We will place the best interests of our learners at the centre of all decisions,” the school said, adding that it remained committed to diversity, inclusion and respectful engagement.
The statement said Roedean was engaging directly with King David and the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (Isasa) to ensure that the matter was “properly understood and addressed through the appropriate processes”.
In response to specific questions regarding the timeline set out in King David’s 9 February letter, including the content of the 2 February phone call and subsequent communications, Roedean referred the Mail & Guardian to its 9 February statement and said any further updates would be shared in due course. The school did not address the specific allegations in King David’s letter.
King David had not responded to the M&G’s questions by the time of publication.
A recording of a phone call between representatives of the two schools has been circulating within community networks and referenced in media reports. Roedean has disputed its contents and the circumstances under which the call was recorded and circulated have not been publicly clarified.
Both schools have confirmed that discussions are ongoing with Isasa. The association has not issued a public finding and no formal determination has been announced.
Roedean has informed parents that it will hold a town hall meeting on Wednesday to discuss the events of the past week.
In a notice to families, the school said the meeting would provide an opportunity to “hold our community through this time”.
The matter remains under engagement, with key elements of the 2 February timeline disputed and mediation ongoing.
