PSBB suspends teacher as DMK orders probe against CBSE school in sexual harassment charge

A teacher at the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan (PSBB) school in Chennai has been accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour by several students from the school. Scores of students had reportedly reached out to an alumnus from the school who was exposing the alleged predator teacher (identified as Rajagopalan a Commerce teacher) on social media and shared their shocking experiences as well.

Following the public naming and shaming of the teacher on Instagram with sensitive information and pictures which the teacher had allegedly shared with his students, politicians had stepped in the fray and expressed their condemnation over the atrocious incidents. DMK MP Kanimozhi announced that she has been briefed on the matter and promised swift action to the perpetrator teacher and all other culprits involved.

Top Chennai school receives flak over sexual harassment charges against teacher

“The sexual harassment allegations against a commerce teacher in PSBB School, Chennai has been shocking. An inquiry should be conducted and action must be taken against those who are involved including school authorities who failed to act against the complaints from students,” Kanimozhi tweeted. The DMK leader from Thoothukudi also promised to take the issue up to the concerned authorities.

Another DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran has written to Union Minister for Education Nishank Pokhriyal requesting him to direct the CBSE committee to initiate appropriate enquiries into the PSBB School sexual harassment issue & also to probe lapses in mechanism to address such issues at the school.

Notably, the school management has suspended the teacher after the information came into the public domain. However, Kanimozhi has called for immediate action against the school administration for negligence.

Khushboo had tweeted about the incident in a tweet and tagged State Education Minister Anbil Mahesh in hopes of urging the authorities to get to the bottom of the issue as soon as possible.

What happened at PSBB?

Several screenshots evidencing harassment and sexually inappropriate behaviour by the teacher has been doing rounds on social media with a growing clamour of immediate and responsible action against all involved. Reportedly alumni of the school have registered a formal statement to the school management requesting the immediate suspension of the teacher until a thorough investigation is conducted in the matter.

After the shocking incidents came to light, several celebrities too have taken to social media demanding action against the teacher.

Chinmayi Sripaada in her tweet said: “To the students at PSBB - if you are being coerced or threatened to remove your testimonies, please don’t. You’ll receive legal help. Also - students usually don’t know what is appropriate and what’s not. That education never reaches them. So kindly refrain from shaming.”

PSBB's first response

Chinmayee also posted a tweet with an image of the school's first formal response on the incident that has now flared up all over Twitter and opined that the situation now rests with the students to take this forward legally.