An independent investigation released today into various allegations of misconduct against the hostel superintendent at Wynberg Girls’ High School (WGHS) raised in November last year (“Outcry at girl’s school”, Bulletin November 24) found her not guilty of misconduct but she has had her employment contract terminated.
Following the publication on social media of various allegations against the hostel superintendent of Waterloo House, the school governing body of WGHS commissioned an independent investigation of the allegations by a member of the Cape Bar and former acting high court judge Advocate Diane Davis submitted a written report to the school governing body containing her findings and recommendations, mainly that the hostel superintendent has not broken the law. More particularly, she has not committed sexual assault or harassment, emotional abuse, theft, hate speech, racial discrimination or unlawful breaches of confidentiality or privacy, all of which she stood accused of by certain pupils in Waterloo House.
However, Ms Davis found that pupils at Waterloo House had a legitimate cause for complaint regarding inconsistent treatment and the lack of a uniform set of rules and disciplinary code. She also found that there had been a breakdown of discipline in the hostel, and that the re-establishment of good discipline and order needs to be addressed as a priority.
Recommendations made in the report include:
- The appointment of a Xhosa-speaking hostel superintendent;
- the preparation of a revised disciplinary code which sets out clear rules; bringing in professionals to work with the hostel pupils and hostel staff in an effort to promote better understanding in the hostel for the benefit of all its pupils.
For the full story – and more – read next week’s Bulletin.