“In my opinion it was a poor decision on [redacted] part to employ.”
In 2023, the man pleaded guilty to having a sexual connection with a 15-year-old girl, and indecent communication, which included sending photos of his genitals.
A judge at the time said a conviction would be a “crushing blow” to his future prospects, finding that “the gravity of the offending viewed as a whole is relatively low”, and he was granted a discharge without conviction as well as permanent name suppression.
The court ordered an emotional harm payment to the victim of $2000.
Another Ministry of Education document provided to the Herald, the March 5 “no surprises” file, said the school worker had been stood down pending an investigation.
An urgent briefing on the man’s employment was requested for Education Minister Erica Stanford after Herald involvement. Photo / Mark Mitchell
“The school also informed the ministry that the board had made the decision to terminate the employee’s contract. The ministry is working with the school to ascertain how this happened, and to support the board to ensure it does not happen again.”
Earlier this year police confirmed they received a vetting request from the man’s employer and that the circumstances of “what occurred” were shared with the requester, along with the fact the man was discharged without conviction.
Another email showed a Parliament worker sought “urgent advice/a briefing” for Education Minister Erica Stanford after the Herald’s involvement.
“Can the advice/briefing please cover (along with everything else pertinent): What happened, what actions can be taken, whether schools/boards have advice guidance when hiring, whether this is being developed through current work, what position is the ministry taking with any action, including around telling parents.”
‘Poor decision-making’
In a statement to the Herald this week, a ministry spokesperson said it moved quickly to understand what had occurred and “whether appropriate processes had been followed” after being made aware of the man’s employment.
“Boards of trustees are responsible for employment decisions and are expected to adhere to robust processes to ensure student safety.
“We found that processes were not followed in this case, and this led to poor decision-making.”
Stanford had sought an urgent briefing “given the potential implications for student safety and public confidence”, and was kept informed as further information became available, the spokesperson said.
“The ministry operates under a no-surprises approach, with an expectation that ministers are kept informed of significant and emerging issues.”
The school’s principal was approached for comment this week but did not respond.
When earlier interviewed by the Herald, the victim’s mother was horrified by the situation and believed parents had the right to know the man was working at the school.
“Those girls and young women and their parents will not be aware of it, so they can’t take measures to protect them.”
She said that if the school knew about his history and still employed him it was “abhorrent”.
Her daughter, she said, had now given up on justice and felt that “sportsmen get away with things”.
In her opinion: “The sport and their success in sport comes ahead of the safety of young women and girls.”
The success of an individual’s career, she said, should never take precedence over the rights of victims.
Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers issues such as sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.
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