From RNZ · RNZ | Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa · · 1m 20s
Education Minister Slams Teaching Council Over Sex Offender Teaching
Education Minister Erica Stanford accuses Teaching Council of allowing sex offender to teach despite warnings.
In brief
Education Minister Erica Stanford accuses Teaching Council of allowing sex offender to teach despite warnings. Education Minister Erica Stanford says Teaching Council failed to remove sex offender Timothy Fisher from teaching due to poor processes, risking child safety. Originally reported by RNZ.
Education Minister Slams Teaching Council
Education Minister Erica Stanford says the Teaching Council has a rotten culture that prioritizes being liked over protecting children.
Sex Offender Allowed to Teach
Timothy Fisher taught at 12 schools since 2011 despite multiple warnings and a police red stamp warning.
Report Finds Council Failures
Barrister Katherine Anderson KC found the council should have struck Fisher off by 2015 but failed to act.
Fisher's Conviction Details
Fisher was jailed for four years and five months after pleading guilty to indecently assaulting nine students.
Council's Safeguarding Failures
The council failed to act despite Fisher disclosing past crimes and police warnings about unsupervised child access.
Victims Advisor Calls for Action
Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money says the council's negligence risks thousands of children and demands heads roll.
Minister Calls for Reforms
Stanford says the Teaching Council needs urgent reforms to ensure teachers have current practising certificates and child safety.
The bottom line
Education Minister Erica Stanford says Teaching Council failed to remove sex offender Timothy Fisher from teaching due to poor processes, risking child safety.
