Teacher took party drugs on school premises

An Auckland teacher must pay about $5500 and undergo random drug testing after he admitted taking party drugs on school property. The man, who had been teaching for 15 years, had MDMA, a class B controlled drug, on the school premises and added it to his drink after a staff Christmas function in December 2020. His hearing before the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal for serious misconduct was held in May. The tribunal gave its decision in June and it has been published online this week. The teacher’s name and that of the secondary school are permanently suppressed. The tribunal heard that about 7.30pm, as the student-free, after-hours event wound down, several teachers waited in an office for a taxi. As they waited, the teacher was seen putting ‘‘white powder into his beer’’. He eventually confessed it was MDMA. The tribunal said the teacher must undergo random drug testing for 12 months. He was also ordered to pay $5598 in costs.