The New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal has deregistered a teacher following multiple instances of inappropriate behaviour in relation to students.  Those instances included showing a video of a sexual nature to students when it had no relationship to any of the topics being studied by the students.  The teacher also took photographs of students and sent text messages to her students during an assembly.  On a different occasion the teacher drove a student home without notifying senior staff or getting permission from the student’s parents.  The teacher also had students to her house and lied to the school about that incident.  The final matters involved the teacher swearing at a student and hitting another student.

The teacher admitted that her conduct amounted to serious misconduct and the Disciplinary Tribunal had no trouble finding that it reflected on her fitness to be a teacher and brought the profession into disrepute.  The teacher’s registration was cancelled.

Alan Knowsley
Education Teacher
Wellington