Private school teacher fired for sexual grooming of matric pupil

A teacher at a private school on KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast has been fired for sexual grooming and sexual harassment of a matric learner.

The ruling by an independent disciplinary inquiry established by Felixton College will now be forwarded to the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa and the South African Council for Educators for a decision on whether he can continue teaching.

The teacher was employed at the school on a temporary and permanent basis since June 2021. However, when he was told of the charges during a telephone conversation with the headmaster on January 9 this year, he said he was resigning with immediate effect.

In a follow-up e-mail he said this was so he could continue with his PhD at Stellenbosch University “while looking for work”. He claimed this decision was “going to come up in the next few months” anyway. However, the school was intent on proceeding with the disciplinary inquiry and notified him of this.

The teacher said the school no longer had any legal standing to discipline him, given his resignation and he would not attend the proceedings.

In her assessment of this issue, the inquiry's chairperson, attorney Trudie Nichols, said the labour appeal court had definitively ruled on the issue of whether an employee may resign to evade disciplinary proceedings.

The teacher had been required to give notice of his resignation and an employer was entitled to institute disciplinary proceedings during this notice period, she said.

The proceedings could continue in his absence, she added.

The offences against the teacher were listed as grooming and sexual harassment of learners, in that between August and December 2024 he had engaged in “grooming behaviour” using inappropriate communication, including verbal and text messages with learners, and abusing his position of authority. He had also used “inappropriate physical contact” and had made unsolicited advances.

It is axiomatic educators should ensure they, in the execution of their duties, do not violate any of the basic rights they should seek to uphold and enhance in the course of their duties

—  Attorney Trudie Nichols, inquiry chairperson

The main witness was one of his victims, who was 19 when she gave evidence and had been at the school since grade 9. She said she considered her interaction with the teacher to be innocent until 2024, when she was in matric. In 2023 she did not take his advances “too seriously”, though with hindsight they were inappropriate. 

Once, when she was extremely nervous about a school-related issue, she said he had pulled her aside and told her she looked beautiful. Later he hugged her. He became increasingly inappropriate with her and another learner, also in grade 12, who did not give evidence at the hearing.

She said he began to make frequent reference to his romantic and sexual experiences, the first time he had performed oral sex on a woman and his experiences of watching porn with women. After one of these conversations, he stood up and used his clipboard to cover his groin area. He then laughed and told her his obvious erection happened often around her.

He also told her that she had “nice big breasts”, would frequently interact with her on Whatsapp and would show her and the other learner inappropriate pictures of himself on his phone, using his fingers to block his naked lower body.

In October 2024 he called her into his classroom. Other learners were there but they were sitting at the back and otherwise engaged. Feeling uncomfortable, she decided to record the conversation on her phone. He told her how attracted he had been to her since he first saw her when she was 15 years old, that she would do well as a waitress because she had “great” breasts and how “horny” he gets when he thinks of her. He put his hand on her leg.

In January after she finished school, her relative reported his behaviour to the headmaster, providing screenshots of the Whatsapp conversations and a handwritten transcript of the recording of the conversation.

The headmaster, Wayne Rademan, testified that after meeting with the learner he had called the teacher to inform him of allegations.

Later, the teacher phoned him back and said after discussing the matter with his family, he had decided to resign. 

Nichols, in her ruling, said although a single witness, the learner was reliable and honest and her evidence had been supported by her recording of the conversation.

“I am satisfied he actively sought her out while she was a minor and the nature of his interactions are clear indications of sexual grooming,” she said.

Nichols said his behaviour was aggravated by the fact he occupied a position of trust, “which is not only criminal but also harmful and damaging for [the learner] who was young and vulnerable”.

Educators are key role players in efforts by schools and society to raise future leaders and responsible citizens, she said.

“It is axiomatic educators should ensure they, in the execution of their duties, do not violate any of the basic rights they should seek to uphold and enhance in the course of their duties.”