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Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Ōtūmoetai College staff member ‘on the road to recovery’ after medical emergency

Emma Houpt
Emma Houpt
Multimedia journalist·Bay of Plenty Times·
2 Mar, 2023 01:15 AM3 mins to read

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Ōtūmoetai College. Photo / George Novak 24 November 2021 Bay of Plenty Times- Photograph by George Novak

Ōtūmoetai College. Photo / George Novak 24 November 2021 Bay of Plenty Times- Photograph by George Novak

A longstanding Ōtūmoetai College staff member taken to hospital in critical condition after a medical emergency on school grounds is now recovering.

School principal Russell Gordon said the “loved” staff member was “on the road to recovery” and would soon be discharged from Tauranga Hospital.

Earlier this week he said family of the staff member were distressed by “patently untrue” rumours he was in hospital because he was “assaulted”.

The emergency happened on Monday after the man was involved in an interaction with two young people who entered the school, but Gordon said any acts by the students were not the cause of the event that resulted in hospitalisation.

Police responded to reports of a disorder on Windsor Rd around 12.30pm on Monday.

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A police spokesman said two young people had been referred to youth services and inquiries were ongoing.

He said there was a “spontaneous round of applause” when he told staff the news of the teacher’s recovery at a meeting on Thursday morning.

“It was just sheer relief. He is a loved member of our school and to know he is going to come through this makes all the difference,” he said.

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“I am so grateful and thankful that I can say our mate is going to be okay. I don’t want to think what the alternative could have been.”

In recent days he had received an “avalanche of emails and phone calls” from concerned teachers, parents and students.

Police had conducted a “thorough investigation” into the actions of the students who trespassed onto school grounds. He hoped there would be “certain consequences” so the students would “not consider repeating this behaviour here or anywhere.”

On Tuesday, Gordon said two students, who did not attend the college, came on to school grounds on Monday “targeting” an existing student.

Staff members, including the one who later suffered a medical emergency, “got involved to help the student” by trying to de-escalate the situation.

He said two staff members then escorted the students off the school grounds, while the male staff member returned to contact the police.

“He came into the administration block and asked a colleague to phone the police - shortly after is when a medical emergency took place.

“Maybe 90 seconds later he then collapsed.”

A Hato Hone St John spokesman said the service was called about 12.30pm and one person was taken to Tauranga Hospital in critical condition.


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