Parents form guard of honour for staff at KZN school with alleged sex pest principal

More than 80 parents and former educators wore black and held a “guard of honour and support” on Monday for Pietermaritzburg school teachers whose principal allegedly sexually harassed women staff members and bullied pupils.

This after the Sunday Times revealed  the school governing body (SGB) of 121-year-old Merchiston Preparatory School went to court to try to get the KwaZulu-Natal education department to suspend principal Llewellyn Bragin pending an investigation into his conduct.

Bragin also faced allegations of improperly hiring his wife, being drunk on school tours and telling parents at a quiz night that it was “no wonder your boys are so f***ing stupid — you parents can’t even answer the questions”.

The group met at the drop-off zone and lined the walkway from the staff car park to the school on Monday to show recognition to teachers for their bravery and continuing to teach despite the conditions. 

The emotional display of support was coupled with prayers. 

One parent, who asked not to be named for fear of being victimised, told TimesLIVE the gathering was initiated by parents who decided to join the call for action.

“We understand there has been a task team appointed to conduct interviews with the 21 complainants. We are encouraging urgency around that. We have also seen other staff being suspended without reason. Bragin has valid complaints against him, but he still walks the halls of the school. That is very concerning to us as parents especially because there are kids who are complainants. That he victimised and bullied kids is very scary and it could be anyone’s son next,” said one parent. 

Another parent, who is a complainant about bullying on behalf of her son, said he has been badly impacted and his emotions are no longer the same. 

“We have been trying to assist him with help from a therapist who is helping him to regulate. I have an older son who understands what happened to his little brother and his anxiety has been off the chart, and that is the same for us as parents. The incident was on a Friday afternoon, on a very busy sports day. If he can do what he did in a public space, what can he do privately?”

According to court papers, it is alleged that: 

• While on a school tour Bragin sneaked into a room occupied by female staff while they were sleeping and made comments “on the way they were sleeping, namely ‘you were spread out like a starfish’”.
• Bragin approached a staff member in her office, saying she was a beautiful woman, that he had a crush on her and couldn’t be trusted to be left in a room alone with her. “He said I must please not tell anyone, especially his wife.”
• He addressed women staffers as “lovey”, “love”, “sweetie”, “queenie” or “babe” while insisting they address him as “Mr Bragin”.
• The principal screamed at and belittled staff, told some to “f*** off” out of his office after a dressing down, and threw a file at one teacher.
• He assaulted an eight-year-old boy and told a nine-year-old pupil that he would call the police to arrest him and he would never see his mother again.
• Bragin drank heavily at school events and on school trips.
• He asked staff during a school camp if another teacher “was a virgin, and if he is a bit retarded”.
• The principal told staff his wife had been appointed as alumni liaison “after a full interview process and she was the preferred candidate”. It has since emerged this was not the case and no interview process had taken place.
• When his wife learnt of a rumoured affair between Bragin and a woman staff member, she harassed the woman and sent her threatening WhatsApp messages, after which Bragin applied for two weeks' “wellness leave”.

One parent said the gathering was not an attack directed at anyone but was the group wanting to “salvage one of the most incredible” schools in the province. 

“The school is built on raising gentlemen with integrity but it has been brought into disrepute and that has been so damaging. Today is about setting an example for our sons regarding the kind of men we want them to grow up to be.

“Our boys must know this should not be tolerated. Our teachers have shown up faithfully and stood firm in front of our boys, despite the abuse they have endured,” she said.

National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) Umgungundlovu regional chairperson Sharona Singh, who was part of the gathering, said the union leadership is working with aggrieved members. 

“The KZN department of education carried out their investigation last week with our members represented. We await the outcome of the investigation process which will become public knowledge. Unfortunately we cannot disclose information due to the confidentiality clause of this process,” said Singh.

Bragin’s deputy, Eric White, was suspended by the department for reasons it refused to divulge in a move the SGB said was “contemptible and inconsistent”.

Bragin, meanwhile, has denied the allegations and the “vicious attack on my character and credibility”, and in court papers accused White of wanting his job and conspiring with the SGB to oust him.

KZN education department spokesperson Muzi Mhlambi failed to respond to questions from the Sunday Times, saying only that the department noted developments in the case “with interest”. 

TimesLIVE