THE headmistress of an Oxford girls’ school has branded the actions of university drinking club members “wholly inappropriate” after they invited pupils to a party.

More than a dozen male students from Hertford College have been suspended following allegations that members of the college’s Penguin Club wrote derogatory remarks in emails about female university students.

The emails came to light when printouts were posted around the college, at Catte Street, in the city centre, by a whistleblower.

Oxford High School headmistress Felicity Lusk said that a number of her school’s pupils had been contacted by the club’s members.

She added that she had spoken to college officials as part of their investigation into the emails – which were not about girls at the school – on Friday.

Ms Luck said: “What happened was some invitations were issued on spec, which came into our sixth form, which were distributed among the girls but not taken up.

“The party was cancelled and my investigations showed that the girls found the whole thing very odd.

“I’m concerned about the whole incident but I think it’s a matter for the university.

“They will deal with the students who were behaving in this inappropriate way."

Ms Lusk said no girls at the school, in Bardwell Road, North Oxford, were contacted by name.

She added: “It was a complete one-off and we haven’t had this before at all. It’s wholly inappropriate.

“Girls at Oxford High do have boyfriends from time to time at the university, but that’s a completely different type of relationship.

“What has happened here is of concern and I’m confident the university will be dealing with it thoroughly.”

It was reported that the allegations about the connection with the school came to light because some of the Oxford High pupils who had picked up invitations to the party had parents who were Hertford fellows.

Ms Lusk said she did not know if that was correct but added she was sure some of her girls had parents who were members of staff at the college.

She added: “If the allegations that have been made are true, it’s worrying behaviour from the students concerned.”

A spokesman for Oxford University confirmed that 14 male students, understood to be members of the Penguin Club, an unofficial drinking society, along with one other male student, had been suspended while concerns about their behaviour were investigated.

He said concerns had been raised with the college and university authorities before the emails had been made public, but would not elaborate on what those concerns were.

He said: “We take these allegations – and that’s all they are at this stage – very seriously and the matter is currently under investigation.

“There were genuine concerns raised about the behaviour of this group before the emails came out and various things have come to light as the investigation progresses.”

He confirmed that the allegations under investigation included contact made with girls at Oxford High School.