Teacher admits that it was the 'most stupid thing I have ever done in my life'
A teacher in New Zealand has been found guilty of serious misconduct for attempting to consume what he believed to be an illegal drug at a school Christmas function in December 2022.
The incident occurred during an end-of-year celebration when the teacher and approximately 16 colleagues attended an afternoon function at a tavern before returning to the school grounds to continue socialising.
According to the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal' findings, another staff member offered "lines" of white powder to colleagues in a classroom.
The respondent acknowledged being called over to a desk where he saw the white powder and sniffed it using a rolled-up $5 note.
The teacher later told the deputy principal that "the white powder had no effect on him after he sniffed it. he did not feel any worse or better."
He further stated that sniffing the powder was "the most stupid thing I have ever done in my life."
The teacher received a final written warning after being subject to an employment disciplinary process, and was also required to undergo random drug testing in 2023.
He also acknowledged his "lapse in judgment" in response to the investigation carried out by the Complaints Assessment Committee (CAC).
"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 as quoted in the tribunal's ruling.
What was the white powder?
The CAC was also unable to provide evidence that the substance sniffed by the teacher was an illegal drug.
The tribunal, however, proceeded on agreed facts that the teacher "thought he was consuming an illegal drug but did not in fact do so."
In its decision, the tribunal determined that the conduct constituted serious misconduct under the Education and Training Act 2020.
The tribunal found that the teacher's actions reflected adversely on his fitness to be a teacher and were 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," the tribunal stated in its decision.
"The Code expects that teachers will act within the law and as positive role models for students."
The tribunal also emphasised the significance of the incident occurring on school grounds.
"Schools are frequently used by students and other members of the community for recreational, cultural, sporting and other purposes. 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."
The tribunal imposed a censure, annotation of the teacher's register for one year, and conditions requiring him to disclose the decision to his current and future employers for two years.
Additionally, the teacher was ordered to pay $660 toward the CAC's costs and $582 toward the Teaching Council's costs.
The teacher has since left the school in June 2024, according to the document. He is now employed at another school.
