Assault charges withdrawn against Isaacs

SOUTH Peninsula High School principal Brian Isaacs says he has been vindicated after criminal charges of assault brought against him were withdrawn.

The State had decided to withdraw the matter based on the merits of the case. This comes after Isaacs received a letter from the Western Cape Department of Education which said he had allegedly made himself guilty of “serious misconduct”, claiming he had assaulted a pupil and accusing him of “victimisation and improper conduct against learners” at the school. Isaacs had denied the allegations. Yesterday, Isaacs said that while the rights of students should be respected, the rights of teachers should equally be considered. He hoped the incident would restore some kind of “balance” in the way the rights of teachers and students were viewed.

“Firstly one disciplines children because it’s in their interest, not because one victimises students. Students have rights and in this particular case it shows that teachers also have rights.

“I do feel vindicated – unfortunately it happened to me – where parents went to the police station when it could’ve been handled at school level.”

Teachers had always been “on the back foot” and the education department more often considered what the students had to say and seldom listened to the teacher’s version. It was the reason many teachers were leaving, Isaacs said. – Natasha Prince