Teacher censured after assaulting daughter, granted diversion by police

A teacher has been censured after assaulting his daughter. Photo / 123rf

An “experienced and well-respected” teacher reported himself to the police after he wrapped his hands around his teenage daughter’s neck, shook her “vigorously” and threatened to kill her after discovering the nature of her sexual activity.

Now, that teacher, whose name and the school at which he works are suppressed, has been censured. This followed him being charged with assault on a person in a family relationship and receiving diversion by police.

According to the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal decision released on Wednesday, the man is a registered teacher who holds a practising certificate valid until next year. It said he was still employed by the school at the time the case went before the tribunal.

“He is an experienced and well-respected teacher. Despite the incident that is the subject of this matter, he continues to have the support of the College Leadership Team and the Board of Trustees,” the decision said.

The man was arrested after he phoned the police on the evening of May 6, 2021, to turn himself in.

He described grabbing and shaking his 15-year-old daughter’s neck for around five seconds in a fit of anger.

While attacking her, he yelled: “I want to kill you, I want to f*****g kill you”. The assault occurred at their family home and the teen was uninjured.

After his arrest, the teacher asked to meet with the principal of the school at which he was employed.

Around a month later, he self-reported the assault to the Teaching Council. The school also reported the assault.

Later in 2021, the teacher appeared in the District Court and pleaded guilty to the criminal charge, but was offered diversion. Police later recommended the court dismiss the charge against him.

The teacher told the tribunal his behaviour was out of character. He has no criminal or disciplinary history.

“His daughter had been engaging in challenging behaviours of a sexual nature, which placed considerable stress and pressure on the respondent’s family and personal life,” the decision said.

Both the teacher and his wife had sought help for their daughter. On the night of the assault, the father became aware of a further incident and when talking to the teen, her response was to shrug. It was then that the assault occurred.

As part of the diversion scheme, the teacher undertook counselling, a 20-week course on non-violence and a restorative justice conference with his daughter.

Tribunal deputy chair Sam Wimsett said in the decision that physical and threatened violence reflected adversely on a person’s fitness to be a teacher.

“The violence was against his daughter, who was a similar age to those students that he teaches. The violence itself raises concerns about his ability to moderate his emotions if faced with a stressful situation in the context of being a teacher.”

The charge of serious misconduct was proven, with the tribunal ruling the misconduct was of “moderate” severity and accepted it was a one-off.

The teacher was censured and the tribunal ordered he must inform any future teaching employer of the proceedings for the following 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay 40 per cent of the Complaint Assessment Committee’s costs and 40 per cent of the Tribunal’s costs.