Calls for teacher suspension after sexual misconduct allegations

Parents of learners at Pitlochry Primary School in Westville, KwaZulu-Natal, have demanded answers following reports of sexual misconduct involving a teacher at the school.

Concerned parents have called for the immediate suspension of the teacher, who has been removed from teaching pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

It’s believed the teacher sent messages of a sexual nature to a 12-year-old girl pupil.

Chairperson of the parents association, Vee Gani has criticised the school and the department for allowing the teacher to continue teaching after the incident was reported two weeks ago.

Gani says the teacher was only instructed not to come to school on Tuesday. “There were allegations, and then the allegation was substantiated by prima facie evidence. Based on the nature of the case, that itself should have been acted upon immediately within a day or two, at the most. So we certainly question why it didn’t happen at the time that it was reported and what kind of delay the process, because we’re talking about a very serious allegation, one of sexual misconduct. And you have to err on the side of caution, which means you have to remove the person and then do your investigation and what they did on Tuesday, they should have done two weeks ago.”