Teacher accused of sexual harassment suspended

A Gauteng high school teacher who is accused of sexually harassing a grade 10 pupil at Southview High School in Lenasia, south of Joburg, has been suspended.

This was confirmed by Gauteng MEC for education Matome Chiloane, who said the man was suspended on Monday.

The suspension comes less than a week after the department sent its officials to the school to investigate allegations of sexual harassment against the teacher.

“Last week [on Wednesday] we told him to go, he was not at work for two days – Thursday and Friday – so today [Monday] he just decided to go to school. We have a signed a letter now to suspend him.

“I don't want him at the school, I don't want such people who are accused of such accusations. Obviously, there is a level of innocent until proven otherwise but such suspicions are serious, and I take them in a serious light and that is why we have taken the decision to suspend him. He can't go into the school premises again,” Chiloane told Sowetan.

On Monday, the chairperson of the school governing body (SGB), Sebenzile Mkhonto, said she was shocked that the teacher was at school despite being told that the department would “remove him from the school and take proper measures”.

She was later informed that the teacher had been suspended. She said she was also informed that 10 pupils had lodged a complaint against the teacher on Monday. 

Allegations are that the same teacher faced similar allegations at a school in Orange Farm where he used to teach before joining Southview.

A parent, who is a member of the SGB at the teacher's previous school, told Sowetan that the teacher was “forcefully” removed from the school in 2019 after being accused of sexual harassment. 

“Parents went to the school and protested outside the gates, demanding his removal. He was removed immediately after that, and we did warn that he should not be transferred to another school,” said the man.  

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