Abuse case: Edu dept calls for transfer of teachers who helped headmaster

MADURAI: Officials at the education department in Madurai has sent a proposal to the state school education department to transfer two teachers who allegedly attempted to protect the headmaster facing charges of sexual abuse.
The teachers working at the government higher secondary school at Pothumbu near Madurai had tried to convince the victims not to lodge a complaint against M Arogiasamy.
Arogiasamy, 54, had surrendered before a Madurai court on Tuesday after evading arrest for more than a month.
Though the police are to investigate the role of all the teachers in the school in connection with the case, the education authorities sent the report soon after the visit of senior CPM leader Brinda Karat to Pothumbu village on Saturday last. A senior education department official confirmed that the report was sent but refused to name the two teachers. Though the two teachers were in the knowhow of the alleged sexual abuse by the headmaster and despite complaints they received from the victims they failed to initiate action. "They further attempted to silence the students asking them not to reveal their sufferings to anyone," said the official.
Even the Child Welfare Committee that probed the allegations levelled against the headmaster found that the teachers in the school were aware of the behaviour of the headmaster. The report also recommended action against teachers who suppressed the acts of the headmaster from parents as well as senior officials in the education department. The CWC also alleged that the teachers had forced a student to clean the toilets and perform other menial jobs in the school allegedly due to his poor score in the exams.
Ninety seven students had confirmed the allegations regarding the headmaster to the CWC.
School education secretary D Sabitha told TOI that they are yet to receive the CWC report. "Once we the CWC reports we would act on the recommendations made in it,'' she said.
Meanwhile, CPM MLA K Balabharathi met chief minister J Jayalalithaa and handed over the complaints against the school headmaster a couple of days ago. The chief minister had assured her that due action would be taken against the HM as well as others who allegedly wanted to protect him from police action.
The police are planning to seek custody of the headmaster who is now lodged in the Madurai Central prison. He surrendered only after an order from the state home department was issued to the district administration as well as the police to arrest him immediately.