If the principal of the Far North school where paedophile teacher James Parker preyed on pupils had acted on concerns over his behaviour, his prolific offending might have been halted earlier than it was, the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal says.
The council has censured former Pamapuria School principal Stephen Hovell over
his lack of action when it became apparent Parker was inappropriately having boys sleeping over at his home. Mr Hovell was brought before the tribunal by the Teachers Council Complaints Assessment Committee.
The council accused Mr Hovell of not investigating a letter by a principal from a different school to the Teachers Registration Board in 1999 that said Parker would take boys home, shower with them and sleep with them "marae style", a tribunal report said.
It also said that following a police investigation into Parker in 2009, Mr Hovell would have been specifically made aware that Parker slept in close proximity of the boys who slept at his home.
A letter was sent to Mr Hovell by police after the investigation, which strongly urged the practice of students sleeping at the deputy principal's house to stop, the report said. The council told the tribunal that after receiving the police letter, at no time did Mr Hovell direct Parker to stop the practice.
