4-5 gets the teacher in BIG trouble!

A Free State teacher has been dismissed after being found guilty of two counts of misconduct by the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC).

The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) says there is no room in its structure for teachers involved in cases of gender-based violence at school.

The union's general secretary, Xolani Fakude, said this in response to the Free State teacher who was sacked after being found guilty of two counts of misconduct by the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC).

According to Coen Havenga, the ELRC's lead arbitrator, the charges stem from two separate incidents dating back to 2023.

“He forced her to touch his penis”

Havenga said the first incident involved a Grade 12 student, where the teacher allegedly touched her breast and forced her to touch his penis.

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The second incident involved a Grade 11 student. The accused teacher behaved inappropriately, disgracefully and unacceptably by showing the student his penis.

Both incidents occurred on school grounds in the accused teacher's office, Havenga said.

Found guilty

The accused employee denied the allegations. His representative argued that both the Grade 12 and Grade 11 students falsified evidence against him. However, Havenga said this was highly unlikely.

“It must have been an elaborate forgery involving educators, young learners and parents, with the intention of getting rid of the employee, which I find highly unlikely.

“I find it unlikely that the plaintiffs would put themselves at a disadvantage by making up a false version to satisfy another educator. And it is even more unlikely that parents would allow their young child to go through this trauma just to satisfy the whims of another educator,” he said.

As a result, Havenga said, the ELRC found the accused teacher guilty of misconduct, dismissed him from work and deemed him unfit to work with children.

A disgrace

Fakude said that as Sadtu, they are not on the side of the teachers who, if convicted, and as union members, would be dismissed with immediate effect.

“These teachers are damaging the image of the profession we work in. We do not want to be associated with those who are found guilty of sexual harassment or sexual relations because we believe that gender-based violence in schools has no place in our society and our system,” he said.