Sexual abuse allegations shut girls hostel in Thoothukudi school

Sources said that the school recently hit the headlines after a Physical Education teacher of the school was reportedly accused of sexually abusing of girls. The charge was that he made a girl to sit on his lap during a tournament at Karur recently. 

The incident drew widespread criticisms from social activists, who demanded immediate suspension of the teacher from the school. While the demand was getting louder, the school initiated action on the girl which infuriated social activists.

Adisaya Kumar, a noted social activist and lawyer at Thoothukudi, immediately petitioned the district administration claiming that the correspondent of the school was an ex-MLA and alleged that many irregularities were taking place in the school unchecked. 

The girls hostel functioning inside the school had no approval from the government and the Principal who was residing on the first floor was also sexually abusing students. 

Acting on the petition, the district administration formed a 10-member team comprising of officials from Education Department and Child to probe into the allegations. 

The 10-members carried out a surprise visit to the school on Wednesday and inspected the hostel. During the inspection, they found out that the girls hostel had no permission from the government and had been functioning from 2006. 

They also found out that the room of the principal is located on the first floor of the hostel and from his room the hostel rooms could be clearly seen. Hence, the principal’s room was also sealed. Though the girls hostel was sealed, the students were permitted to stay there till the completion of exams. 

Officials informed that after the completion of exams the hostel would probably be shifted to some other place outside the school. A case under sections 15,16 and 17 of The Tamil Nadu Hostels and Homes For Women and Children (Regulation) Act of 2014 and a notice regarding action on the school had been sent to the management, the officials said.