A Catholic boys school has suspended a teacher after he hypnotised students and allegedly asked one boy to touch himself.
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The incident occurred at Mazenod College in Mulgrave and is now at the centre of a police investigation.
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The school's principal, Father Christian Fini, revealed in a letter to parents on Monday that "a teacher was using hypnosis techniques on students".
He said the school was speaking to year 10 and 11 students and their families.
"The matter continues to be investigated by authorities beyond the school community," he said.
"At this difficult time may I please ask you to take the time to talk to your sons about the matter."
The letter Mazenod College sent parents.
Catholic Education Melbourne executive director Stephen Elder said that the principal was alerted last week to "irregular behaviour" by a staff member.
"The Principal acted promptly to stand down the staff member and remove them from contact with students and from the college grounds and to notify the relevant authorities," he said.
Mr Elder said that the safety and wellbeing of children was paramount.
"Any unprofessional conduct by a staff member or inappropriate contact between a staff member and students is totally unacceptable."
A police spokeswoman said detectives from the Box Hill Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team were investigating the incident, which allegedly occurred on November 23.
"Victoria Police can confirm it received a report of a teacher hypnotising students at a school in Mulgrave,' she said.
It's not the first time that a staff member at a Victorian school has used hypnosis techniques on students.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse heard last year that a chaplain at Geelong Grammar tried to hypnotise students before sexually assaulting them.
