Teacher 'forced out' by students

A former high school teacher has filed a personal grievance case after claiming death threats were made against him, that he was threatened falsely with being exposed as a paedophile, and was physically assaulted.

Maths teacher Gregg Smith resigned last month after working at the Dannevirke High School for a year-and-a-half.

He has taken a personal grievance claim against the school for not providing a safe working environment.

Mr Smith, who is from the US, claims he was consistently abused, verbally and physically, by a group of students who wanted him to lose his job.

Dannevirke High School was the 55-year-old's first teaching job after training at the Dunedin College of Education two and a half years ago.

"Students told me in my first week they didn't (want) a foreign teacher," he told the Manawatu Standard.

Students then deliberately misbehaved and organised a petition to get him fired, he said.

Parents also entered the fracas and wrote letters blaming Mr Smith for their children failing NCEA, he claimed.

During his time teaching at the high school Mr Smith said he was called a paedophile, a pervert and "gayboy". He claimed he received death threats over the phone, which were reported to police.

He also said he endured water-soaked tampons thrown around the classroom, students thumping him in the hallway and saying they were going to "bash his head in", students jumping out of windows during NCEA assessments, pouring Twink on each others' heads, and making comments about him looking at boht boys and girls inappropriately.

Mr Smith said he received no support from the school. Instead, it blamed him for students' behaviour.

Mr Smith said the school forced him to sign a termination agreement. Otherwise he would face competency proceedings, which could mean he would not be able to work in New Zealand again.

He was sent home to think about his "character flaws" which, he said he was told, incited the students' bad behaviour.

"I'm not the only teacher this has happened to. People are being bullied into hiding the uncomfortable truth; students are not learning," he said.

Dannevirke High School board of trustees chairman Tony Rhodes would not comment on Mr Smith's teaching ability, though he said there was a mentoring programme for new teachers.

"We have effective measures in the school to deal with behaviour," he told the Standard.

- NZPA