Teacher caught in hotel with student

Jun 16, 2009 News

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(By Mondale Smith)

A teacher of a city school on an alleged promise to give better grades, in exchange for sexual favours, lured a female student to an East Bank Demerara hotel for ‘a piece’ but only managed a kiss on the neck before he was arrested Saturday last.
However, while the student’s mother and relatives managed to execute a set-up to corner the amorous perpetrator, the police are stumped on what charge, if any, could be laid against the educator since the act was not completed and because the young lady, aged 16, went along without force.
Recounting her experience yesterday, the student, in the presence of her mother and grandmother, said that the teacher’s advances began about a year ago when she failed Geography and History.
The more recent advances were made last Monday during the Assembly period. She said that the man (name given) called her to the back of the assembly room and alerted her of a proposition he wanted to discuss with her after the assembly concluded.
Noting that the teacher’s tone seemed more deliberate than the way a teacher communicates with a student, she did not comply, even after a form one student was sent to remind her of her meeting with the teacher.
Eventually they met, and she was asked what she proposed to do to pass the two subjects and according to her she explained that she is willing to re-sit the exams, but the teacher would not hear of it.
“He say no; he want he cut and explained that he could help me if I have sex with he,” the 16 year-old said.
A similar advance was made a year ago. On that occasion the student recalled, “I tell he that I would pay he $2,000 but he showed me about $300,000 in a bag and say no amount of money I got can pay he and then he asked me what I gon do to pass?”
After the teacher allegedly said that there was only one other option, she became fearful of failing and began to cry.
Later in the day while visiting with a friend in another classroom, the teacher allegedly beckoned her for a private conversation that he did not want to share in the friend’s company.
This time, he reminded her of his proposition and allegedly again asked what she proposed to do for the grades.
“He say is not like I ain’t do it before and that he know that I got a man and then he offer to pay me $2,000 for a three-piece,” the young woman recounted with a straight face.
She again refused and amidst being patted on her shoulder, she said that the teacher looked up to the skies and then back at her and made another verbal advance.
He said, “Girl when I see you, me emotions does raise up, so think about my proposal or you gon fail.”
“He say I is not the only one (student) who doing this, so he ain’t know why I making styles.”
The teacher’s alleged advances continued on Tuesday last, and this time he told her that there are plenty of places in the school compound for them to “do it” and no one would see, as there were not many students in the school.
She responded in the negative and he walked off smiling, again advising her to think about it with a broad smile on his face.
Weary of the advances, she stayed away from school on Thursday, but upon her return on Friday last, she alleged that the teacher again asked for a private conversation, where he again told her that the time was ripe for them to get involved sexually as the school was empty.
“I refused and he said if I don’t I’ll have to pay him $10,000 or I’ll have no other choice or chance,” the 16-year-old said.
She said the pressure became more than she could bear and she relayed the ordeal to her mother, after the teacher allegedly told her of his plan to take her to a hotel out of town. She then also confided in her grandmother. The teacher called about 09:10hrs on Saturday.
After the grandmother listened in on a telephone conversation where the teacher relayed the pick-up plans to her granddaughter, the police were contacted and they too listened in on the plans for the pick-up to go to the hotel.
After a plan was hatched to corner the teacher, the teen arrived at the Middle Road location where she entered a car.
The teacher sat next to the driver, while she sat in the back seat and they were transported to a hotel at Agricola Public Road.
The teen alleged that she was asked to remain in the car while the teacher booked the room.
She walked into the hotel upon being signalled by the man to do so.
Oblivious to him, the teen’s mother, a male friend and a police constable had followed their car to the hotel.
The teen alleged that after she and the teacher entered the room, she sat on the bed and the man began caressing her neck. She said, “He start kissing me on my neck and touching me and then he get up and closed a window and came back.” Then they heard a knock on the door.
The furious mother, recounting the events, said, “Sir opened the door, my daughter was standing behind him and the police constable showed him his ID and handcuffed him and take him to the Ruimveldt Police Station.”
At the station, reports were made, the teacher was taken into custody and the mother was told to return on Monday (yesterday).   However, yesterday she was told by an investigating rank that the officer to review the case was not available and that the police would contact her when he becomes available.
Yesterday, the mother said that she reported the matter to the Education Ministry, but was told that she should return today, since the official to attend to the report was in a meeting.
The mother is peeved that her daughter might not get any justice for the emotional and physical abuse that she suffered at the hands of someone who was supposed to be teaching her.
She is also fearful that her daughter may be victimised and discriminated against at school by the teacher if he is allowed back in the institution.
The mother said, too, that she is even more fearful that other girls will have to endure the same experiences from the teacher, and might not be so lucky if he is let off the hook.
This publication yesterday visited the city school where a man who identified himself as the School’s Deputy Headmaster, referred all queries about the matter to the head mistress. However, she was out for the day.
When this publication contacted the Guyana Police Force’s Public Relations Department, they had no information on the matter and said they have not been able to reach anyone at the Ruimveldt Station for information.
This publication has learnt that the teen had a similar encounter with another teacher (name given) while she was a first form student, and that the teacher had reportedly professed his love for her.
However, her mother said on that occasion she reported the matter to the head teacher and it was dealt with at that level. That teacher remains an educator at the school.
The teen’s mother said that the teacher in this incident had been extremely apologetic for his actions, but changed his stance after he met with the teacher from the earlier episode.

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