Tamil Nadu: 5 govt school teachers transferred amid sexual harassment complaints by girl students

Chennai, Aug 25 (IANS) In a major fallout amid sexual harassment allegations made by girl students on social media, five teachers of a government school at Kinathukadavu in Tamil Nadu's Pollachi were shifted to different schools on Monday.

The move comes after inquiry teams from the School Education Department and the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) intervened following public outrage.

The controversy broke out after three girl students uploaded two videos on social media, accusing their botany and music teachers of misbehaving with them.

In the videos, the students — faces covered for anonymity — alleged that the music teacher touched them inappropriately during dance practice sessions, while the botany teacher engaged in unwelcome physical contact under the guise of patting them as encouragement.

The students further claimed that another teacher often came to class under the influence of alcohol.

They said the videos were made public only after repeated complaints to school authorities went unaddressed. However, the school management maintained that they had not received any formal complaint of sexual harassment from the students.

The videos quickly gained traction online, sparking widespread condemnation and drawing the attention of the education department.

Officials from the DCPU and School Education Department visited the school and launched an inquiry into the allegations.

Subsequently, police registered cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against the two teachers accused of sexual harassment.

Officials confirmed that further investigation is underway to establish the veracity of the charges and collect evidence.

Meanwhile, the education department transferred all five teachers named in the students’ allegations to different schools in Vettaikaranpudur, Thondamuthur, Pollachi, Othakalmandapam, and Kulathupalayam.

Officials said the transfers were a preventive measure to ensure a safe environment for students and to facilitate a fair probe.

The incident has sparked a debate on student safety and the accountability of school administrations.

Child rights activists have demanded strict enforcement of safety protocols in schools, while local residents and parents have urged authorities to set up grievance redressal mechanisms that allow students to report harassment without fear.

Authorities have assured that the inquiry will be carried out in a time-bound manner and appropriate action will be taken based on the findings.

--IANS

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