JTA concerned about allegations of sexual misconduct by teachers

The Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA) has expressed discomfort at the number of  allegations of  sexual misconduct being raised against teachers by students.

In the most recent reported incidents, a teacher who was taken into custody on Tuesday following allegations of indecent assault of a seventeen year old high school student in Manchester was charged on Wednesday, while another  teacher, accused of sexually touching a female student at Ardenne High School in St. Andrew had been scheduled for questioning by the police, also on Wednesday. 

In addition to these two cases, several more are before the courts on similar allegations.   

JTA President Howard Isaacs told RJR News on Wednesday night that the  Association  was “very concerned” about these allegations, ‘which we would rather not have.”

The JTA has been entreating its members to “be extremely careful in how they interact with children under their care,” he said.

He added that teachers were being spoken to directly about how to avoid certain pitfalls in their interactions with students.