The headmaster of Merchiston Preparatory school in Pietermaritzburg, who was suspended by the KwaZulu-Natal education department in September 2023 after complaints by parents and teachers about his alleged “bullying”, is set to return.
But parents have indicated they plan to legally oppose this and are willing to go to court to stop him.
Llewellyn Bragin confirmed to TimesLIVE Premium on Wednesday he had been cleared of 10 out of 11 charges against him.
He was waiting for official confirmation of the lifting of his suspension from the department, after which he would return to work.
He said the charge he was found guilty of related to a petrol slip involving R840 “which I had not paid”.
This was a misdemeanour, he said, and he had been sanctioned.
He declined to reveal what sanction he had received but said it was not a dismissible offence and, effectively, he had been “cleared”.
In separate disciplinary proceedings instituted by the school governing body, he was essentially found guilty of bullying two vulnerable pupils and bringing the school into disrepute.
While the SGB could not fire him, because he is a government employee, it cancelled the contract it had with him through which he was paid R38,000 a month for “additional services”.
Some parents remain unhappy about his pending return.
In a letter to the SGB dated July 24, attorney Patrick Deale, on behalf of the “majority of parents”, said they were “astonished” to learn that Bragin had been found not guilty on “extremely serious charges concerning abuse of boys and certain teachers”.
“However, regardless of the outcome, the overwhelming majority of partners have zero trust and confidence in Bragin as a worthy headmaster of Merchiston,” Deale said.
The toxic environment was so dire some parents have taken their children out of the school
— Attorney Patrick Deale, in a letter written on behalf of some parents
He referred to an “online” poll conducted over the past two days in which the question put to parents for a yes or no answer, was, “Do you have confidence in Llewellyn Bragin returning to Merchiston and leading the school?”
Of the 425 responses, eight had said yes, and 417 had said no.
Deale said it would be “completely untenable for him to return after all the destructive events which have unfolded since his appointment”.
He said there was a general climate of fear and unhappiness during Bragin’s tenure.
“The toxic environment was so dire some parents have taken their children out of the school.”
A spokesperson for the SGB confirmed receipt of the letter but declined to comment further.
The provincial department didn’t respond.
