After more than 30 boys came forward accusing their waterpolo coach of sexually abusing them, you would have thought the school in question would have put a few practices in place to ensure the boys were protected.

Well, they didn’t.

As if last year’s sexual abuse scandal wasn’t enough, Parktown Boys’ High School has been dealing with claims of secondary victimisation of learners since January, reports IOL:

Nine teachers at the school were accused of making light of the scandal during classes, making inappropriate comments directly to victims and perpetuating a “culture of silence” that discouraged and even prevented other abused teenagers from coming forward.

You can read more about last year’s incident here and here.

However, over the past two weeks, two of the teachers under investigation have again landed themselves in hot water.

The Saturday Star is in possession of a recording of a teacher who allegedly labelled learners who reported the school’s former waterpolo coach for alleged abuse and rape as “evil snitches”.

During the 45-minute rant, art teacher Nik Muiznieks [below] “threatens to blow up the boarding house where some of the alleged victims reside, chop off their heads, and then calls an Indian pupil ‘Isis’ and asks him where he can buy explosives”

Nothing like a little racism thrown into the mix, right:

His rant, littered with swear words, also addresses one of the victims of abuse in the class, telling him not to be offended. “Some Parktown Boys are monkeys and this is not a racial statement there is black monkeys and white monkeys,” he says in the recording.

Another incident has forced a mother to lay assault charges against maths literacy teacher and director of sports, Remo Murabito:

The pupil claims he was attacked by Murabito in a maths literacy class for behaving badly. Murabito allegedly stomped on the teenager’s foot before slapping him, and then berated him by shouting: “You are the problem in my class, you are a nuisance in my life.”

The mother of the pupil showed the Saturday Star a message allegedly from Murabito admitting to the incident, saying he would co-operate with authorities after the charge of assault was laid.

Murabito [below] has also been accused of hiring the waterpolo coach who allegedly sexually abused the learners, despite knowing of a drug-related criminal charge against him.

Of course, parents of the victims of the sexual assault are appalled by the behaviour of the teachers:

“After the boys came forward, they should have been protected. Instead, they are being abused again by the teachers. What is going on at this school?” a parent said.

As it stands, Muiznieks was given the opportunity to resign, which he had accepted. However, Murabito is employed by the department of education, and not the school’s governing body, so it is not up to the department to deal with the allegations against him.

Following the claims of secondary victimisation the department says its “MEC is studying an investigation report into nine other teachers”.

Education spokesperson Steve Mabona says the department took the actions of the two teachers seriously:

“You can’t take the situation where learners where traumatized [sic], to be traumatized further.” Mabona says the other teacher accused of assaulting a pupil is still being investigated.

“An employee must be given the opportunity to be charged then respond.”

Damn, son, and there you thought teachers were there to protect your children.

[source: iol]