UPDATE: St John’s College staff member found guilty of racial stereotyping
HOUGHTON –The staff member has resigned from all senior positions at the school but ‘mitigating circumstances’ did not warrant his dismissal.
UPDATE, 1:15 pm:
The Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, has taken to Twitter to reveal that the staff member found guilty of serious misconduct at St John’s College has resigned.
I would like to thank the school management and parents for their cooperation and understanding https://t.co/Iyr805T4Y1
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) July 28, 2017
Breaking News: We've just received a report from St. John C that the teacher has left the employment of the school with immediate effect
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) July 28, 2017
UPDATE, 12:14 pm:
Former students at the school have created a petition called #OpenStJohns calling for the staff member found guilty of serious misconduct to be immediately dismissed. The petition, which has been signed by over 170 old boys so far, says, “Through interaction with current and past Johannians, the prevailing sentiment is that the sanction of a final written warning is too lenient. In simple terms, the punishment does not fit the crime.”
The statement goes on to add, “In cases of racial abuse, there can be no ‘mitigating circumstances’.”
The former students have requested a meeting with the headmaster and chairperson of council on 31 July and they also intend filing a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission, as well as the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa.
UPDATE, 11:50 am:
The Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, convened a meeting with the leadership of the school on the morning of 29 July in order to voice his dissatisfaction with the way the school had handled the matter, as well as the way that the school had reported it.
Lesufi said that the department had been inundated with complaints from parents. “When we met with them this morning we registered in no uncertain terms that there are three issues that we really believe the school has not addressed,” said Lesufi.
“The one is to choose an elder over children, one that sees black children as sub-human.” The second issue raised is that the school was compelled to report the matter to the Council of Educators if the staff member is found guilty and Lesufi added that the school had not done that.
LISTEN: Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, is interviewed
Lesufi added that the statement released by the school undermined the dignity of the public and the children who had been affected. Lesufi has given St John’s until 1pm on 28 July to reverse the decision.
Original article, 8:36 am:
Following a hearing, a staff member at St John’s College in Houghton has been found guilty of serious misconduct.
The college confirmed that a disciplinary process regarding accusations of racial stereotyping and passing derogatory comments by a senior staff member had been concluded. It stated that it welcomes the ruling on racial stereotyping, condemns bigotry and recommits itself to transformation.
An independent senior counsel presided over the hearing in February.
The staff member has been found guilty of serious misconduct and was issued with a final written warning as per the senior counsel’s ruling. The member of staff has also resigned from the senior position he held at the school, which will result in a cut in salary and benefits.
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According to the school, the senior counsel found that while the staff member was guilty of serious misconduct, there were mitigating circumstances which did not warrant dismissal.
The college would not disclose what these mitigating circumstances were, as disciplinary hearings are confidential. According to the school, the staff member has since apologised unreservedly to the schoolchildren and parents.
“We are happy to finally have the matter resolved. We appreciate the patience demonstrated by everyone, our staff, our learners, parents and the larger St John’s community, which allowed us to conclude the inquiry in an independent, fair and objective manner,” said St John’s headmaster, Paul Edey.
“We are embarking on a journey of reconciliation and opening up conversations where the voices of students and staff may be heard.
“Facilitated conversations involving our parent body have begun and we look forward to involving our Old Johannian community, especially those who were disillusioned by their experience at St John’s. “Through these conversations, we aim to build a truly South African school very much committed to the national process of healing and growing a unified nation.”
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