Published On:Wednesday, March 17, 2010

By TANEKA

THOMPSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

tthompson@

tribunemedia.net

A CLAIM that at least one girl at private Eleuthera boarding school Windemere High was groped by a male teacher is being looked into by police.

Although details on the allegations were sketchy, The Tribune understands the girl accused the teacher of inappropriately touching her.

Last night, unconfirmed reports from the island claimed "four or five" other female students allege similar encounters with the teacher.

The allegations came to light a day after it was revealed that Ministry of Education officials are probing two separate allegations of sexual misconduct involving teachers at two public Grand Bahama schools.

Yesterday police on Eleuthera were tightlipped about the reports but a well-placed source claimed that authorities had been made aware of the claim.

Police were also said to be talking to students and school staff and were actively seeking the whereabouts of the teacher, who is reportedly an expatriate.

When contacted by The Tribune, school Principal Rosetta Gibson would only say the reports "had been blown out of proportion" and was "in the hands of the authorities".

She declined further comment.

Officials

Meantime, education officials on Grand Bahama have their hands full looking into fresh allegations against two male teachers and an employee of two separate schools in Grand Bahama.

According to reports, it is alleged that one of the teachers engaged in a sexual act with a female student while another teacher was present or knew what was going on.

Yesterday Education Minister Desmond Bannister affirmed his ministry's vow to look into all sexual misconduct allegations involving public school teachers.

"Whatever allegations are made they are going to be fully investigated and the ministry is going to ensure that children are safe and that people who are irresponsible around children are brought to justice.

"But also if they (the accused) are not guilty, we have to ensure that they have full due process - but the ministry is vigilant to the safety of children," he told reporters outside of the Cabinet Office.

Leave

Earlier this week Hezikiah Dean, a Grand Bahama district superintendent, told the media that the two teachers have been placed on leave pending the findings of the investigation.

This was part of the ministry's zero tolerance policy against sexual misconduct, he told The Tribune yesterday, but did not imply the guilt or innocence of the teachers in question.

"It is ministry policy that as soon as there is alleged sexual impropriety that is what the next move is to put such persons on leave.

"But until an investigation is complete and the facts are known it would be unwise to make any statements with any kind of details to the press," he said.

Meantime police on the island have yet to launch a formal investigation into the claims.

Senior Assistant Commissioner Quinn McCartney, who oversees Grand Bahama police, heard about the allegations and reached out to ministry officials for more information, but a formal complaint has not been lodged by the ministry or any student.

"Our officers have spoken to Ministry of Education officials and they are continuing their internal investigation but we're still only hearing speculation," he said, adding the RBPF would look into the allegations once a formal complaint is made.

The public school system has been dogged by recurring allegations of sexual misconduct by teachers towards students, with some of the cases landing before the courts.

This prompted the ministry to form a Sex Complaints Unit to investigate claims.