The New South Wales education department is investigating a high school principal after police abandoned a probe into allegations that she sexually abused a 17-year-old student when she was in her late 40s. Detectives conducted a year-long investigation but were advised by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions that there was insufficient admissible evidence to proceed to trial.
The alleged victim's mother discovered hundreds of messages between the pair dating back about a decade, when her son was in year 12 and the woman was a deputy principal. The young man died in 2021, and his mother gained access to his social media accounts, uncovering the communications which she reported to police, the Department of Education, and the then education minister.
The principal was immediately stood down from teaching and moved to administrative duties while police assessed the messages and spoke to potential witnesses. She declined to be interviewed by police. In March, police told the family the investigation would only reopen if new evidence emerged.
The education department confirmed this week that its Professional and Ethical Standards investigators, previously unable to act while police were involved, have resumed their own probe. The boy's mother said the principal should be dismissed and never work near children again, expressing sadness that the police investigation did not result in charges given the thousands of messages.
Messages seen by the Guardian show the teacher added the student on Facebook in April of his final year, with conversations soon shifting from school matters to arranging meetings, discussing kissing, and references to the teacher's husband knowing about them. The teacher wrote that women her age "don't go around falling in luv with 17 yr olds" and said she would marry him "when I get out of jail for corrupting you." It is not known if a sexual relationship occurred.
