A high school teacher sent a female student naked pictures of himself, gave another a sex toy and bragged about sexual relationships with former students. 

The allegations against the teacher, who has interim name suppression, are detailed in papers before the Teachers’ Disciplinary Tribunal which is today considering the case, after the teacher admitted his conduct. 

The charges detail how between 2020 and 2022 the man began messaging a year 12 student telling her that she was beautiful and that he loved her, while also asking her to keep their communications a secret. 

He also gave her a sex toy, sent her sexually explicit photographs of himself, requested she do the same and touched her inappropriately while giving her a hug. 

Over a similar time period, the teacher also engaged in similar conduct towards a student in her final year of school by asking her to download the app Signal so he could message her privately. 

The teacher also removed the student from one of her classes and brought her to his office where he told her he’d had relationships with former students, talked about himself masturbating and asked if she wanted to use a sex toy he had brought with him to school. 

A third student also drew the man’s attention in 2022. He also asked her to download Signal where he messaged her telling her she was “beautiful” and “sexy”. 

The teacher also offered to send the girl photos of himself masturbating and told her that he could teach her to masturbate and had done so to other students. 

According to the charges, the man kept the student in class after other pupils had left (so he could talk to her), marked her as present on rolls where she was absent and touched her inappropriately by hugging her or kicking her bottom. 

However, it wasn’t just students that drew the unwanted sexual attention of the man. His conduct towards a fellow staff member is also coming under the tribunal’s microscope. 

The man told the female staff member that he wanted to pursue a relationship with her and commented on her physical appearance as well as telling her what he wanted to do to her sexually. 

He told the woman that he was in an open relationship and encouraged her to not be “bound” to her partner. 

The man sent his colleague photos of his penis as well as videos of himself masturbating and requested that she send him similar visuals of herself. 

The Complaints Assessment Committee prosecuting the teacher allege his conduct amounts to serious misconduct. 

Because the teacher has admitted the charges against him, the tribunal will only hold a hearing on the papers as a formality before issuing a penalty in writing at a later date. 

Jeremy Wilkinson is an Open Justice reporter based in Manawatū covering courts and justice issues with an interest in tribunals. He has been a journalist for nearly a decade and has worked for NZME since 2022.