Teacher censured over sexual relationship with student

A teacher has been barred from teaching after he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student. Photo / Thinkstock

A teacher has been barred from teaching, censured, and told to pay costs after he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student.

Oliver Day was teaching PE at Macleans College in Auckland when he initiated the relationship with the girl.

The Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal alleged Day also tried to cover up the relationship, and contacted the student in question to try and influence a Board of Trustees investigation.

The Complaints Assessment Committee referred the allegations to the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal.

Around last April, when the student was 17, Day invited her to go for a drive.

From that point the relationship developed into an intimate and sexual one, according to an agreed statement of facts.

The teacher used Facebook and text messages to set up liaisons with the girl, who has name suppression.

In about November last year, Macleans received a complaint about inappropriate sexual conduct. This complaint was sent to the Ombudsman, then the Ministry of Education.

Day initially denied the allegations and described them as bizarre.

On November 28, the student's parents delivered a letter to Macleans advising they'd learned of an inappropriate intimate relationship.

According to the Tribunal, Day tendered his resignation on December 8.

The next day, he was told the school board had decided to fire him.

Day later admitted to engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a student.

According to the Tribunal, he said he sincerely regretted his "lapse in judgement."

The Tribunal said it had little difficulty confirming Day was guilty of serious misconduct.

It said the "only realistic outcome" was to censure the teacher and cancel his registration.

Day was also ordered to pay the Complaints Assessment Committee half its "actual and reasonable costs" for the disciplinary proceeding.