Education
Investigations Launched into Allegations Against Private School Principal in Barbados
Investigations have been launched by two ministries and the island's child protection agency following allegations of inappropriate behavior and abuse against the principal of a private school in Barbados.
5 min read
Originally published by barbadostoday.bb (opens in new tab)
Two ministries and the island’s child protection agency have launched separate investigations into a string of allegations levelled against the principal of a private school, ranging from inappropriate sexual behaviour to acts of physical and verbal abuse, Barbados TODAY has learned.
The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour and the Child Care Board (CCB) have all confirmed receiving letters from a group of former teachers and staff outlining the alleged acts against staff, students and even parents.
When confronted by Barbados TODAY with the allegations, the embattled principal claimed persecution by “witches” practising “obeah” before denying the allegations through his lawyer.
In letters under the names of seven ex-teachers and dated September 13, 2023, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education was informed that the school boss “repeatedly made sexually inappropriate comments and advances towards female staff members, including inappropriate touching, inappropriate sexual innuendos and propositions, unannounced visits to their homes, and uncomfortable personal questions about relationships and sex”.
They also claimed that he verbally belittled, threatened, intimidated, and bullied teachers, often in front of students. Accusations also included physical and verbal abuse of students as a form of discipline.
“This includes aggressively yelling at, grabbing, and lifting . . . children by their shirts/collars, as well as throwing objects in classrooms. Students reported feeling terrified of [the principal],” according to the complaint.
The letter also claimed that the school head allowed and encouraged an overall hostile, tense, and fearful environment at the school, that communication between administration and staff was poor, learning materials and furniture were inadequate, and that there was an absence of critical support staff for maintenance and cleaning.
“[He] displayed inappropriate contact with minor female students. Multiple teachers witnessed [him] having . . . girls sit on his lap, giving them piggyback rides, and lying with their heads in his lap. This behaviour raises serious concerns of potential child endangerment and misconduct,” the disgruntled educators contended.
The former staff told the authorities they remained “deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of the remaining students and staff at [the school] under [the principal’s] leadership”.
“These inappropriate behaviours demonstrated a clear pattern of abuse by [the principal] and have been witnessed by multiple teachers over a period of several years who feared their own safety and the possibility of losing their only source of income in these tough financial times. Many parents have removed their children from the school after experiencing similar treatment and have made several complaints to the Ministry of Education,” the complaint alleged.
