The principal of a NSW high school is under investigation for historic sexual abuse after a mum unearthed inappropriate messages between her son and the teacher from a decade ago.
The mother gained access to her son’s social media accounts this year after he died in 2021. What she discovered was hundreds of messages between him and the teacher, who was his deputy principal and in her late 40s when the exchanges began. The boy was 17 and in year 12.
According to Guardian Australia, the deputy principal first messaged the student on Facebook in April of that year to tell him he had topped the class for one of his assessments. A month later, she offered to let him use the school gym whenever he wanted and said: “no way u look like someone who hasn’t been able to work out much”.
The content of the messages escalated after this. Conversations between the two reportedly involved talk of kissing, organising meet-ups outside of school and concern that the teacher’s husband “knows about us”.
The teacher called the student “very fine, very young, very bad” and said women her age “don’t go around falling in luv with 17 yr olds”.
In June that year, the student said he liked to call the teacher “Miss”. She responded: “but don’t you think it makes me sound a bit paedophily [sic]”.
Messages from the following month indicated a possible physical encounter.
“That was not my body – that was my brain interfering,” the teacher said.
“I can tell you that because every time I have thought about you for the last few months, including now, my body responds ridiculously well. Just not earlier today.”
The boy replied: “hips are a bit sore, knees are a bit sore. Good workout”.
Sarah MitchellHelp is available.If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online. Under 25? You can reach Kids Helplineat 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
The teacher said she “didn’t think we were going to do that today” and said she had been “hanging out to get a kiss out of you today and next minute…”.
She also told the student she would marry him “when I get out of jail for corrupting you” and lamented that her “girlfriends have children older than you”.
The two also spoke about having dreams where the other was naked.
The mother said she first contacted the department about five years ago when her son was still alive after she was told of the alleged relationship by a family member. The son, however, signed a statement which denied anything inappropriate had happened. Because of this, police didn’t investigate the claims any further.
The texts have since been reported to police, the department of education and Minister for Education .
The principal has been removed from “all child-related duties” as a “risk management action” while the allegations are investigated by police and State Crime Command’s Child Abuse Squad. The school in question has not been publicly named.
“I am assured PES [professional and ethical standards] is in regular contact with police and is actively cooperating with, and assisting the officers involved in the matter,” Mitchell wrote in a letter last month.
“Please be assured the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children is the department’s paramount concern and appropriate action will be taken as soon as possible once the issue of criminal charges is resolved.”
Guardian Australia reached out to the principal for comment.
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
