Investigator slams school management for being bad employer

A student's serious assault on a 61-year-old teacher marked the beginning of the end of Steve Hocking's time as Kawerau College principal.

Education investigator Dennis Finn was approached through the New Zealand School Trustees Association to do a review on behalf of Limited Statutory Manager Lex Hamill.

Finn concluded the school's handling of the assault was bad and discovered other "serious allegations" against Hocking.

The teacher is understood to have taken a personal grievance case against the school and received compensation.

He was attacked in February 2008 when a group of students disobeyed a female teacher's orders to return to the school sports day. He told the students to stop being rude and to return. Their response was to hurl abuse and rocks. Half an hour later, one of the students king-hit him from behind, knocking him unconscious.

"I had a tap on the shoulder and then boom, the lights went out."

The teacher went on ACC while having treatment to fix his "destabilised neck" and suffered painful migraines.

The student was suspended and faced a school disciplinary hearing, at which he was referred to the alternative education programme.

The teacher said he felt forced into medical retirement but has recovered and is teaching in Rotorua.

Finn slammed school management for not treating the incident seriously and being a bad employer.

He said the school provided little support for the teacher, who felt pressured to get back to work and "just get on with it".

The teacher says the matter was handled "abysmally" and is glad there is new management at the school.