Teacher fired and permanently barred for sexually assaulting pupil

An Eastern Cape teacher who sexually assaulted a grade 12 pupil during a school camp has been dismissed from the department of education and permanently barred from working with children.

The Bazindlovu Senior Secondary School teacher, whose name is being withheld to protect the identity of the victim, was found guilty of sexual assault and misconduct under the Employment of Educators Act 76 of 1998.

In a ruling delivered by basic education commissioner Siziwe Gcayi, the teacher’s actions were described as a grave breach of trust and professional ethics.

Evidence before the disciplinary hearing showed the incident occurred on the night of November 10 2024, during a school camp where pupils were sleeping in classrooms.

The victim, a 23-year-old pupil who had been taught accounting by the teacher in 2023 and 2024, testified that he summoned her to the library where he was sleeping.

She said he locked the door and closed the curtains before attacking her.

“He grabbed me, and I fell. He told me not to be afraid — that it would remain between the two of us,” she said.

“All this time, I was crying.”

Her ordeal ended when pupils outside shouted for the teacher to stop. She managed to escape and return to her classroom.

Three pupils alerted other teachers, and one came to investigate at about 1am.

The following morning, the matter was reported to the principal, and the pupil’s parents were called in.

The hearing heard that the teacher admitted he had been drinking that night, and said he could not remember what happened, and apologised.

“I was disappointed by the conduct of the teacher. I trusted him,” the pupil said.

“I didn’t expect him to victimise me the way he did.”

She also testified that he had harassed two other pupils, who had witnessed the assault through a window.

It later emerged that the teacher contacted her relatives and members of the school governing body, urging them to convince her to withdraw the charges — an approach they rejected.

The teacher, who had joined the school in 2017, denied the assault, claiming he only met her to discuss her poor marks and give her study materials.

He conceded that he had been drinking and had reached out to her relatives.

Gcayi found his version evasive and inconsistent, ruling that the victim’s account was credible and corroborated by witnesses.

“He tried his level best not to answer to the allegations levelled against him. He tried to influence witnesses to have charges withdrawn,” Gcayi said.

“His conduct was that of someone who is guilty.

“For someone innocent, why would he go out of his way to interfere with witnesses?”

Gcayi said it was “highly questionable” for a teacher to summon a pupil to a private meeting at night during a school camp, describing the act as a clear abuse of authority.

“The employee was not truthful that he was assisting the pupil with schoolwork.

“She said he touched her inappropriately, kissed her, and demanded to be touched,” she said.

The commissioner rejected his plea for leniency, noting that his claim of being a “family man” and a “good educator with a 100% pass rate” did not mitigate the seriousness of the offence.

“He was placed in a position of trust. Parents trusted him with their children. A school is a home away from home where educators are parents to learners,” Gcayi said.

“The misconduct he committed goes beyond mere sexual exploitation of learners — it was criminal conduct.

“Such characters have no place in the schooling environment.”

Gcayi said the department had a duty to protect pupils from predatory behaviour and uphold public confidence in the teaching profession.

The teacher was found guilty on all charges, dismissed from service, and declared unfit to work with children.

The teacher is also facing criminal charges.

Daily Dispatch