However, it did provide a letter sent by Secretary for Education, Ellen MacGregor-Reid, dated February 20 this year – a few weeks after the Herald first enquired about the man\u2019s employment.<\/p>\n
Using her power as Secretary under the Children\u2019s Act 2014, MacGregor-Reid requested a list of all children\u2019s workers employed by the school, documentation of safety checks for each worker and a copy of the risk assessment for each worker. <\/p>\n
The safety check information included the school\u2019s verification of the applicant\u2019s identity, reference checks, employment history, police vetting and any additional information that was considered as part of the process. <\/p>\n
A ministry spokesperson said the school co-operated with the ministry\u2019s request for information and was \u201cengaging constructively\u201d in a review of its recruitment and safety checking processes.<\/p>\n
The school was approached by the Herald regarding the review but declined to comment.<\/p>\n
Judge said conviction would be \u2018crushing blow\u2019 for sportsman<\/p>\n
In 2023, the former sportsman pleaded guilty to having a sexual connection with the teen, and indecent communication, which included sending photos of his genitals.<\/p>\n
A judge at the time said a conviction would be a \u201ccrushing blow\u201d to the man\u2019s future prospects, finding that \u201cthe gravity of the offending viewed as a whole is relatively low\u201d.<\/p>\n
The man was granted a discharge without conviction as well as permanent name suppression.<\/p>\n
The court ordered an emotional harm payment to the victim of $2000.<\/p>\n
Since the February story on his role at a primary school, the man has been removed as a staff member<\/a> from the school\u2019s website.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, the teen\u2019s mother shared her belief with the Herald that: \u201cThe sport and their success in sport comes ahead of the safety of young women and girls\u201d.<\/p>\n The success of an individual\u2019s career, she said, should never take precedence over the rights of victims.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n