Africa-Press – South-Africa. A Gauteng teacher accused of sexually harassing a Grade 9 pupil from an Eldorado Park school was fired after the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) found him guilty of the offence.
The council also said the teacher – who taught economics and management sciences (EMS) at Missourilaan Secondary School – was unsuitable to work with children.
The pupil testified that on 11 November 2021, she and a fellow pupil approached the teacher as he passed their classroom, to ask about the examination timetable. There had been confusion about how many EMS exams there were.
After confirming there was just one exam, the teacher proceeded to hug her and her classmate and told them he loved them, the pupil testified.
The pupil said she felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave, but he then grabbed her and kissed her on the lips.
According to the girl, the pupil who had accompanied her was called away when the incident happened.
Scared and shocked by what happened, she ran down the stairs to a classroom where she found her classmate and a teacher and told them what happened.
The pupil testified that the matter was then reported to the principal. She also informed her parents and the police were notified.
However, the teacher pleaded not guilty to the charge and denied allegations that he had grabbed and kissed the pupil.
In his testimony, he said he had “hugged the two separately and told them he had to rush to get his keys”.
He testified that he had “teacher-learner relationships with them, that they were his best students and he had hugged the two separately as he would any other pupil or colleague”.
He also said when the other pupil left, he asked the complainant “why she was still there, and whether there was something she wanted to say”. He said the complainant told him she had to return to class and they parted ways.
The teacher said the principal did not ask him to write a report but told him that the pupils had written statements, and advised him to write a letter of resignation.
During the hearing, senior ELRC arbitrator Coen Havenga found that he should be dismissed.
“In view of my finding of the serious nature of (his) conduct and the priority to protect the rights of children, I find that he is unsuitable to work with children,” said Havenga.
Havenga noted that he had no previous incidents on record but said protecting the best interests of children was paramount.
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