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Susan Mowat claims she was unfairly dismissed from Christchurch Boys’ High School after resigning in 2019.
Mowat alleges a deteriorating relationship with headmaster Nic Hill, being blamed for incidents she wasn’t involved in.
The Employment Relations Authority continues today with Mowat speaking about ‘defecation’ incidents.
A former Christchurch Boys’ High School teacher has told the Employment Relations Authority she believes headmaster Nic Hill “left faeces” at her property eight times in “retaliation” for her raising concerns about him with the board and police.
Susan Mowat revealed today that someone “defecated” at her Christchurch property repeatedly, leaving a “most disgusting” scene on her driveway.
She said the first incident came soon after she spoke to Christchurch Boys’ High School’s (CBHS) board and police about “serious safety concerns” relating to Hill.
Because of the timing, she suspected Hill was behind the defecation.
Those concerns were around her speaking about Hill in the school community.
She was forbidden from participating in any “gossip or hearsay” going forward.
Lodge accused Mowat of continuing to speak about Hill.
She also accused the former teacher of telling people Hill was responsible for the incidents at her property.
“You had been telling people that Nic had been defecating in your entryway didn’t you … you had no evidence it was Nic, did you? You assumed it was him?” Lodge posed.
Mowat agreed she had no information but stood by her suspicion that Hill was behind the vile deposit.
She said the first incident was after she conveyed to the board and police that she feared for her safety given Hill lived close to her. She worried he would “retaliate” against her.
“I said ‘I am terrified he is going to come to my house and do something … turn up and throw a stone … do something … I felt I was going to be retaliated against in some way,” Mowat told Vincent.
She spoke to a private investigator, who asked her if she had any conflict with anyone specific.
“I said yes, and he asked ‘is it a male?’ I said yes and he said ‘don’t look any further, I’m very much suspecting this is your person’,” Mowat explained.
Christchurch Boys' High School headmaster Nic Hill. Photo / NZME
Mowat told a senior colleague at CBHS.
She told him that “the timing meant that this is looking like this could be Nic”.
“He said ‘no, no it will be [another CBHS] department’ and I said ‘why do you think they would come and poo on my driveway?’ It is the most disgusting thing to pick up.
“He said ‘there is conflict between them and Nic … to set Nic up, to make it look like Nic because of the conflict already existing between you and Nic.”
Lodge also grilled Mowat about a series of anonymous letters were disseminated about Hill.
Over 18 months, a series of typed letters – in handwritten envelopes sent through the post – were received by the school’s board of trustees, all making allegations about Hill and how he was running the school.
The school hired a barrister to investigate who had sent the letters.
Her findings were inconclusive.
Yesterday Mowat told the ERA she felt she had been blamed for the letters. She repeatedly and vehemently maintained she had nothing to do with them.
Today, Lodge said, while the barrister could not conclude Mowat physically wrote the letters, they contained information that could only have come from her.
“(She) found that you were the source of much of the content… against the background of you being told repeatedly over 2018 not to spread misinformation, not to fuel negative community feeling… the investigation found the letters could be considered bullying and the information could have come from you,” she said.
Mowat became emotional as she defended herself again.
“I’m sorry if I sound like a broken record, but I am not one of the letter writers and I have no involvement in any of them,” she said.
Mowat confirmed that complaints to the Teaching Council, Ministry of Education, WorkSafe and police about Hill and or the school have not - as of today - led to any further action, prosecution or statutory direction.
But, she believed the determination of the ERA hearing could change that.
The hearing continues.
Mowat and CBHS will call a number of witnesses to support their case.
It is understood Hill will not give evidence. Board chair Michael Singleton is attending.
Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz
