As a result, the school has been ordered to pay Rasheed $40,000 in compensation and give her her job back.
Many of the allegations into Rasheed’s behaviour come from around 2022 when there were tensions between her and the Board of Trustees.
The board was dissolved in 2023 and the school appointed a commissioner.
‘A culture of fear’
In 2024 Rasheed took a sabbatical from the school.
While she was away the acting principal raised concerns about Rasheed’s behaviour breaching the Health and Safety Act.
An investigation began and Rasheed was suspended. She applied to the authority for interim reinstatement which was granted.
The investigation continued and she was then suspended a second time when the workplace investigator found Rasheed’s actions had created a “culture of fear” at the college, and her conduct amounted to bullying.
The commissioner upheld 13 of the findings of the workplace investigator, as amounting to a material breach of the college’s health and safety policy and conduct unbecoming of a principal.
The 13 allegations included yelling at students, accusing staff of dishonesty, telling off, humiliating and putting a staff member down in a loud and aggressive tone and instructing a staff member to take her personal car from the college to get its warrant of fitness during school hours.
In her responses to the workplace investigation process and the disciplinary process, Rasheed said she accepted she has a “forceful voice” and can use a firm and assertive manner, but it was difficult to respond to the allegations which lacked context.
She was then fired for serious misconduct in June 2025, and applied to the authority for permanent reinstatement.
Rasheed has been given permanent reinstatement as her role as principal.
The Teaching Council considered the mandatory reporting of Rasheed’s alleged serious misconduct, and deemed the matter not appropriate for any further disciplinary process.
ERA member Marija Urlich said there were substantial gaps in the school’s investigation, including that the commissioner relied solely on the investigator’s final report and made no further inquiries after the report.
She found the school had unjustifiably dismissed Rasheed and she was to be permanently reinstated.
Still, the commissioner strongly opposed Rasheed’s application for reinstatement, including that they’d hired a new principal in November 2025.
Urlich said Rasheed was passionately committed to the education of girls in an Islamic context and is deeply connected to the college, not just as principal but through family and community associations of many decades.
“She is a recognised leader in Islamic education in New Zealand and in her faith community including as a member of an education committee supporting work arising from the Christchurch terror attack.
“Her mana and dignity have been damaged through this employment relation problem.”
She said she withdrew even more from her community following her dismissal, to avoid questions that would trigger anxiety, and has found the dismissal deeply shaming.
As well as $40,000 compensation, Rasheed was to be reimbursed lost wages from June 17, 2025 to the date of reinstatement and 23 days sick leave.
The Aotearoa Charitable Foundation Trust, which is a proprietor of the college, was ordered to pay $6000 for aiding and abetting breaches of Rasheed’s employment agreement.
The school has been approached for comment.
Brianna McIlraith is a Queenstown-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the lower South Island. She has been a journalist since 2018 and has had a strong interest in business and financial journalism.