It's precisely because Gard is so "kind" that all of this is happening and the academy is being destroyed. After all, he's a person who had the power to dispose of extremely dangerous criminals, but he chose not to. Unsurprisingly the criminals put his misplaced mercy to good use and the rest is history.
But then again, maybe that academy could use a bit of destruction. It might become a better place afterwards, especially considering that goblin of a headmaster.