Gyeongnam Office of Education Conducts Preliminary Training Before Full Survey on Damage Status
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] A teacher at a middle school in Jinju, Gyeongnam, has been accused of habitual sexual harassment and child abuse.
According to the Jinju Police Station on the 31st, the parents of students A (2nd and 3rd grade) and B and C submitted a complaint on the 29th.
The parents accused teacher D of sexual harassment, verbal abuse, and child abuse.
In the complaint, student A stated that around March 2021, teacher D called her to the office and made remarks such as "Your buttocks are big" and "I wish you wore a skirt."
During physical education class, D said, "If your buttocks are big, you can get hit by a soccer ball," and told others to "hit her buttocks," teasing A by saying "pleasant" and "refreshing" every time she was hit by the ball.
Student B reported that from March 2021 until recently, during tee-ball games, teacher D cursed with phrases like "Are you autistic?" and "Are you an idiot?" whenever B made a mistake, and attempted to throw objects nearby.
The police stated that after receiving the complaint, they are collecting related materials such as school interview records and the results of a full investigation by the education office.
Child Protection Officers (APO) and School Police Officers (SPO) are participating in the investigation, and they are also identifying whether there are additional victims.
An integrated case meeting hosted by the Jinju Office of Education, city hall officials, middle school teachers, and APO is scheduled for September 1.
A police official said, "We will coordinate the schedule so as not to interfere with the children's studies, conduct investigations in the presence of parents, and carefully consider the children's emotional well-being. Depending on the progress of the investigation, the accused will be summoned for questioning."
The Gyeongnam Office of Education stated that prior to the police complaint, on the 18th, a report was made to the school accusing the teacher of making sexual remarks during class.
According to the provincial education office, in May, the teacher made remarks such as "Why aren't you wearing shorts? Your legs are pretty," to a student wearing long pants, which led to a sexual harassment report.
The education office received the report after school on the 18th and took protective measures for the victim student on the morning of the 19th while proceeding with the matter.
On the 22nd, they conducted a victim investigation, and the victim student and parents demanded a public apology from the teacher, who apologized publicly on the 23rd.
On the 24th, a Sexual Harassment Grievance Committee was held with the participation of the director of the Jinju Sexual Violence Victim Counseling Center, recommending disciplinary action against the teacher.
An education office official said, "The police complaint is considered separate from the existing report and will be handled independently. We have already planned a full investigation to find out if there are more students who have experienced verbal abuse or sexual harassment besides the reporting student."
Before the full investigation, the education office will hold related education on September 1 by inviting directors of sexual violence counseling centers to help students establish proper standards and make accurate judgments regarding sexual harassment.
Afterwards, external sexual violence counseling instructors will visit schools to conduct a full investigation into possible victimization.
An education office official emphasized, "Before the full investigation, we need to inform students about what constitutes sexual harassment and sexual violence so that they do not overlook or ignore any victimization. We have been conducting this education continuously for several years as the first in the nation, and we will ensure it is thorough this time as well."
They added, "We will do our best to protect the students and actively cooperate with the police investigation to uncover the truth."
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