A teacher was caught snorting “white powder” from a classroom desk during a Christmas party after being offered a “line” by colleagues.

He later told the school’s deputy principal the powder did not affect him, but admitted it was the “most stupid thing” he had ever done.

The teacher, who has interim name suppression, has been found guilty of serious misconduct and censured over the incident during an after-hours school function in December 2022, a just-released decision by the NZ Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal detailed.

Tribunal deputy chair Catherine Garvey said while there was no suggestion students were present or adversely affected, the fact the conduct occurred on school grounds was relevant, even if it was after-hours.

A teacher who "snorted" white powder off a school desk during an after-hours Christmas party has admitted it was the "most stupid thing" he had ever done in his life. Photo / 123rf

“The risk of a teacher being observed while on school grounds whether by students or other members of the public exists, and teachers should act accordingly,” she said.

Another teacher, who also has interim name suppression, faced a disciplinary charge over the same incident.

Party moved from tavern to classroom

According to the decision, they were part of a group socialising with colleagues at an end-of-year function on December 13, 2022.

It began in a tavern and ended up back in a school classroom about three hours later.

About 16 staff members returned to the school, intending to continue the party.

It was shut down by the deputy principal after hearing from some staff members that a teacher had been offering “lines” to colleagues seated at a desk in the classroom.

Days later, the deputy met with the teacher seen snorting the substance.

He said he did not ordinarily smoke or do drugs and explained he had walked to the back of the classroom, where about four other teachers offered him a “line”.

The teacher saw five lines of white powder on a desk and used a rolled-up $5 note to sniff some of the powder but said he did not know what happened to the other four lines.

He had been drinking beforehand and claimed the powder did not affect him.

The charge of serious misconduct followed an investigation by the Complaints Assessment Committee (CAC), which heard how the teacher “deeply regretted” what happened.

“I want to make it unequivocally clear that I do not condone the events that transpired, and I continue to be in the dark about the nature of the substance involved,” he said.

No proof the substance was illicit

The charge was brought on the basis that the CAC could not prove that the white powder was an illegal drug.

Agreement was reached that the tribunal should proceed on the basis that the teacher thought he was consuming an illegal drug but did not in fact do so.

The tribunal, which had dealt with a number of cases involving the misuse of alcohol or other drugs in a school context, said the case was unusual because of the absence of evidence that the substance consumed was in fact an illegal drug.

‘Lack of professional judgment’

It determined that the teacher’s conduct reflected adversely on his fitness and was likely to bring the teaching profession into disrepute.

“That the respondent was on school property and intended to partake in an illegal drug shows a lack of professional judgment, irrespective of whether it was a spur of the moment act and occurred because he was impaired by alcohol,” Garvey said.

“The Code expects that teachers will act within the law and as positive role models for students.”

The teacher, who was registered in 2011, resigned from the school in June 2024 after an employment disciplinary process in which he received a final written warning.

He was now working at another school.

He was censured by the tribunal and ordered to disclose the finding to an employer for a period of two years.

He was also ordered to pay $1200 towards costs incurred by the CAC and the Teaching Council in handling the proceedings.

Tracy Neal is a Nelson-based Open Justice reporter at NZME. She was previously RNZ’s regional reporter in Nelson-Marlborough and has covered general news, including court and local government for the Nelson Mail.