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The head of New Zealand's kura kaupapa movement is facing questions over his behaviour towards teenage students at a Maori immersion school in the Far North.
Allegations against respected Maori educator Hone Mutu have sparked at least two separate inquiries - one ordered by the Ministry of Education and the other an investigation by the school's board.
Mutu, 41, was suspended last October when the allegations first surfaced at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Kaikohe, where he is employed as a teacher. Last night, Mutu said he absolutely denied the allegations but declined to comment further.
An investigation by the Herald on Sunday has revealed:
Mutu's wife, Deborah, who is principal at the kura, was also suspended following questions over financial management of the school.
The man at the centre of the controversy also heads an organisation representing the nation's kura. That organisation has, to date, made no moves to suspend Mutu.
Advisers were sent in last year by the Ministry of Education in an effort to work through what the board has described as "very serious and very complex issues".
A troubleshooter from the New Zealand School Trustees Association was engaged to assist the school.
The Kaikohe total immersion school is widely regarded as one of the success stories of the kura movement with a roll of more than 200 and a reputation for delivering top-class programmes to Maori students. Much of the credit for that has gone to Mutu and his wife, who have devoted nearly a decade of service to the decile one school.
Mutu's strong academic background and no-nonsense reputation saw him appointed to head the national co-ordinating body for kura kaupapa Maori, which represents 60 total immersion schools around New Zealand.
Despite several requests to speak to Mutu and his wife, neither returned Herald on Sunday calls. Ngapuhi leader Sonny Tau - a vocal supporter of Mutu's - also did not return calls.
The Education Review Office (ERO) confirmed it was looking into the "health and safety" of students and staff, and leadership, management and governance of the kura.
It declined to say whether part of that review would include specific allegations against Mutu and his wife.
Board chairwoman Vanessa Whiu also did not want to discuss the nature of the allegations, but did acknowledge that "children's lives are going to be affected by this".
"They're very serious matters, very complex matters," she said.
She denied there had been any cover-up by the board.
Whiu's husband is a police sergeant in Northland, and it is understood the matter was referred to his superiors.
However, it is unclear what - if any - action was taken to investigate the claims. Another Kaikohe police officer, Hoani Hippolite, is also a member of the board and his wife teaches at the school.
Kaikohe police could not be reached for comment. It is understood at least six families have removed children from the school, but it's unclear if this is related to the allegations, or are a result of wider concerns about the running of the kura.
Parents of some of those children removed from the school were reluctant to publicly discuss the matter, but did confirm the board had engaged an independent investigator who was looking into the allegations.
The ministry confirmed that last November it had ordered the ERO to carry out a special review into the kura because of issues at the school which had "caused concern in the parent and wider community". It refused to reveal its specific concerns.
The school board of trustees has received ERO's "unconfirmed report" and is in the process of responding.
The ministry said it was unaware how many children had been withdrawn from the kura in recent months, or whether those departures were directly related to the controversy surrounding Mutu.
