Teacher cleared: 'Every male teacher's worst nightmare'

The teacher was on trial in the Auckland District Court.

A teacher of 40 years has been cleared of indecently assaulting three schoolgirls but is likely to find it extremely difficult to be employed as a teacher again, his lawyer says.

After a six-day trial in the Auckland District Court the jury took less than an hour to return not guilty verdicts on all seven charges on March 12.

Defence lawyer Marc Corlett QC told the Herald that during the trial, the court heard evidence that there had been a plan among some of the pupils to get the teacher fired.​

The allegations of indecent assault against three 11-year-old girls came about afterwards.

Corlett said his client had been utterly devastated by the allegations.

"He is a career teacher, he has done nothing but teach.

"He was expecting to continue in that profession, a profession I might add in which there are increasingly few male teachers.

"The reality is it will be extremely difficult if not impossible for him to teach again."

Any job he applies for now he will have to disclose that these charges were laid against him, even though it was disproven in court, Corlett said.

The teacher, who cannot be named under law, had been in a state of shock since the allegations were made against him, Corlett said.

He said he was surprised the case had been taken to trial.

The evidence from two of the complainants and two "so-called eye-witnesses" had been vague, inconsistent and implausible, he said.

"They were also irreconcilable with each other."

Hundreds of hours of police resources and six days of jury time were wasted in the process, he said.

He had expected the police to investigate the accusations more thoroughly before laying the charges and said that putting it to a jury had been a "dereliction of duty".

The teacher said what had happened to him was "every male teacher's worst nightmare".

After 40 years as a teacher, 27 of which were spent at the school, he was dismissed within 24 hours of the false allegations being made, he said.

"Although many friends and family came to the trial and supported me through the process, the whole experience has been a terrible ordeal."​

The Herald has sought comment from the the Crown.​