SCHOOLBOYS at a Bergville school have accused a male teacher of sexual harassment and of threatening to fail them if they resisted his advances.
They allege that the teacher also threatened to kill them after they were to exposed him.
The teacher was working at Ukhali High School in Esandlwana area. He cannot be named since he has not been charged with any criminal offence. His departure has left the pupils with no teacher for two subjects.
The teacher, who is a local resident, has been removed from the school pending investigations.
Some schoolgirls who are concerned about their class work say they want him back.
The pupils and former students allege that the sexual harassment of boys has been going on for years. They said the principal and teachers were aware of it but did nothing.
Two 18-year-old pupils broke their silence recently after the teacher allegedly performed an indecent act on them. This led to a group of pupils protesting against him on March 15 and to a parents’ meeting the next day.
“He has done this many times to me, but I kept quiet as I did not know what to do,” said one of the pupils. “But after he locked me in a dark storeroom on Monday (March 14), I reported the matter to my class teacher.”
He tried to fight the teacher off inside a storeroom. “But he was too strong. He pushed his tongue into my mouth and touching my private parts.”
As the teen was narrating the incident to The Witness, his parents expressed disgust.
“Right now I am sitting with an essay, which the teacher refused to take from me for marking.
“He said that if I wanted him to mark it, I should bring it to his house,” said the angry youngster.
