The Berkeley Institute has defended its discipline standards after an e-mail was sent around the Island describing an alleged attack by one of its female students on a girl from Warwick Academy.

The incident at Hamilton Bus Terminal last Thursday, which is being investigated by Police, was seen by a member of the public, who wrote a complaint to the school. The highly critical message has since been circulated around the Island.

The author of the e-mail, a Berkeley graduate of 1965 whose identity has not been revealed, claimed: "What I witnessed...at the bus terminal in Hamilton was disgraceful behaviour by Berkeley students.

"A young female Berkeley student (I estimate her age to be about 15 years) totally blindsided a Warwick Academy female student.

"She came up on her from the side and delivered three very hard and very vicious punches to her face and head and then continued to punch, push and shove her until the Warwick Academy student landed on the ground in the street, all this to much cheering and loud shouting from the Berkeley students that were standing around."

The e-mail claimed that at least 50 Berkeley students witnessed the attack before adults intervened. "What a disgraceful display from a school that years ago set such a high standard," said the email.

"Students were proud of their uniform and they conducted themselves on the streets of Hamilton like fine upstanding young ladies and gentlemen. No more!"

The author claimed Berkeley students were regularly heard swearing and screaming in public and said they had been told that "discipline is pretty much non-existent at the Berkeley Institute".

A Police spokesman confirmed that there was a disturbance at the Washington Street bus terminal on Thursday.

"It appears that the victim, a female student, was assaulted by another female student," he said. "The victim sustained relatively minor facial injuries. She was treated at KEMH and released. Inquiries into this incident are under way."

Berkeley principal Michelle Simmons would not comment on the incident but shared with The Royal Gazette her response to the e-mailed complaint, which she wrote contained "uninformed remarks" and "disparaging comments".

Mrs. Simmons' reply said students were fully aware of the consequences for their behaviour and that there was a "clearly established and articulated system of escalating punishments at the school, depending on the severity of the offences that students may commit".

"You can rest assured that there will be consequences from us at Berkeley for the student who was involved in the 'assault' that you witnessed," she added.

Calvin White, chairman of Berkeley's board of governors, said it was inappropriate for him or any member of the Berkeley Institute to comment on the matter under investigation.

But he also shared with this newspaper responses written by him and fellow governor Eddie Lamb (see separate story).

Mr. White wrote: "I would like to formally invite the writer of the letter to be part of the solution and not a helpless spectator. Berkeley and Bermuda needs every alumnus to be involved in cultivating the educational climate that so many of us who attended the Berkeley Institute during the 'good old days' remember and cherish."

He said "real learning and progress" was taking place at the Pembroke public school. "Our teachers are committed to delivering quality education in appropriately innovative and relevant styles targeted to our learners. Do we have problems? Yes. Do we make mistakes? Of course.

"But I believe if the writer would spend one day at our school he/she would have a very different and more informed perspective of the Berkeley student and the Berkeley Institute."

Warwick Academy principal Maggie McCorkell said on Saturday: "I am aware of the incident and spoke to the parents of our student yesterday and have just seen her and her mother this morning.

"Thankfully she is OK. The matter is in the hands of the Police so I do not really want to make any further comment other than that the entire incident makes me very sad."