\u201cIn my opinion it was a poor decision on [redacted] part to employ.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
A judge at the time said a conviction would be a \u201ccrushing blow\u201d to his future prospects, finding that \u201cthe gravity of the offending viewed as a whole is relatively low\u201d, and he 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
Another Ministry of Education document provided to the Herald, the March 5 \u201cno surprises\u201d file, said the school worker had been stood down pending an investigation. <\/p>\n
An urgent briefing on the man’s employment was requested for Education Minister Erica Stanford after Herald involvement. Photo \/ Mark Mitchell<\/p>\n
\u201cThe school<\/a> also informed the ministry that the board had made the decision to terminate the employee\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier this year police confirmed they received a vetting request from the man\u2019s employer and that the circumstances of \u201cwhat occurred\u201d were shared with the requester, along with the fact the man was discharged without conviction.<\/p>\n Another email showed a Parliament worker sought \u201curgent advice\/a briefing\u201d for Education Minister Erica Stanford after the Herald\u2019s involvement. <\/p>\n \u201cCan 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.\u201d <\/p>\n \u2018Poor decision-making\u2019<\/p>\n In a statement to the Herald this week, a ministry spokesperson said it moved quickly to understand what had occurred and \u201cwhether appropriate processes had been followed\u201d after being made aware of the man\u2019s employment. <\/p>\n \u201cBoards of trustees are responsible for employment decisions and are expected to adhere to robust processes to ensure student safety.<\/p>\n \u201cWe found that processes were not followed in this case, and this led to poor decision-making.\u201d<\/p>\n Stanford had sought an urgent briefing \u201cgiven the potential implications for student safety and public confidence\u201d, and was kept informed as further information became available, the spokesperson said. <\/p>\n \u201cThe ministry operates under a no-surprises approach, with an expectation that ministers are kept informed of significant and emerging issues.\u201d<\/p>\n The school\u2019s principal was approached for comment this week but did not respond. <\/p>\n