Teacher hired despite charges

A teacher facing serious sex charges against students was able to find a job at another school and carry on working in a classroom after being fired for inappropriate conduct.

He was only forced out of his new job when police charged him - even though the New Zealand Teachers Council had known of the claims against him for a year.

At least six girls, aged 13 and 14, have made complaints about the teacher, leading to two rape and 10 indecent assault charges being laid. Neither the teacher nor the schools he taught at can be named because of suppression orders.

Inquiries by the Herald on Sunday have revealed serious flaws in the screening process for teachers that allowed the man to find work in the new school. A shocked staff and board of trustees at the school can't understand how they checked into the man's background and were not told:

* He had been fired for inappropriate behaviour at his previous school.
* He was being investigated by police for serious sexual assaults.
* He was also under investigation by the New Zealand Teachers Council but was still a registered teacher.

The school that hired the man only three months ago said it was difficult to speak because of suppression orders, but its board had acted appropriately.

A spokesman also said it was important for the wider public to know that the man no longer worked at the school - he was fired as soon as the school discovered his past.

"The teacher, who held a teacher registration certificate, worked at the school two days a week relieving for less than three months."

The board had accepted his resignation on August 28.

"The board were unaware of the seriousness of the charges he faced. He was never left in sole charge of a classroom at any time. Parents were made aware of his resignation at a monthly meeting."

The principal of the school where the girls were allegedly assaulted has also told the Herald on Sunday how he broke privacy laws to warn other schools that the man was seeking work as a teacher. "You leave yourself open, but there's that whole dilemma of the person getting a job at another school without them knowing the history. I would be failing in my duty without saying 'This person left his previous school under very cloudy circumstances'."

The principal said he was shocked to find the police had not been told of the accusations against the man, even though he had been fired from the school.

It raises questions why the school chose not to tell the police that its students were allegedly sexually assaulted.

The claims came to light last September, when the teacher was fired.

"The action of people in reporting and disclosing led to this person, who was seen as a real good guy, being forced to leave the school."

The principal only became aware of the claims in October, when angry parents complained that the man was still registered.

He urged the parents to contact the police, which they did.

The principal said he kept in contact with the teachers' council and informed it of the case. He could not understand why the man was still registered as a teacher.

"Police vetting gets those who have been caught previously, but it doesn't protect people from those who have those tendencies and have not been caught."

Peter Lind of the teachers' council said "due process" had to take place before a teacher could be struck off.

- additional reporting Jonathan Marshall