The Pretoria High School for Girls SGB has filed a court application against the Gauteng Department of Education following a controversial investigation into alleged racism at the school and the findings of an independent probe into the school's culture.

The school governing body (SGB) of Pretoria High School for Girls (PHSG) has launched court proceedings against the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) and the MEC for education, Matome Chiloane.

The legal action follows a series of events that began after 12 PHSG learners, including eight prefects, were suspended on 24 July on allegations of racism.

The allegations centred around the learners' involvement in a WhatsApp group, where messages with alleged racial connotations and "microaggressions" were reportedly shared.

The department alleged that the conversations included commentary that dismissed as insignificant the ongoing dissatisfaction among black learners about the challenges they faced at the school.

Chiloane visited the school on 30 July and on that day the GDE placed the school's principal, Phillipa Erasmus, on a three-month precautionary suspension. At the time, Chiloane stated that preliminary investigations into the racism claims had revealed Erasmus' failure to take action after being informed in 2023 about the existence of the alleged "whites-only" WhatsApp group.

Additionally, the department suspended the 12 pupils on several charges -- some of them were prefects who lost their privileges -- and deputy principal Doret Schoombie was transferred to the GDE's district office.

However, an internal investigation conducted by...