Chennai School Teacher Arrested for Sexual Misbehaviour in Online Classes.

Chennai:

A 59-year-old teacher from one of Chennai's prestigious schools was arrested on suspicion of sexual harassment during virtual classroom sessions. The teacher was suspended and charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act following complaints from students at the Seshadri Bala Vidhya Bhavan School in the city's KK Nagar district. 

Under the IT Act, the police have also listed charges of insulting modesty and distributing sexually explicit content. 

Several former and current students accused the male teacher of sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour in person, during virtual classes, and even through text messages over the weekend. According to students, a screenshot shared on social media shows him bare-chested and wearing only a towel. Ms Kripali, a former student, had gathered all complaints and circulated them anonymously. 

Others also said that the school was aware of the suspected misconduct but decided to ignore it.

Chinmayi, a Tamil film industry singer who was at the forefront of the #MeToo campaign, had also posted screenshots.

Kanimozhi, a DMK MP, tweeted about the incident on Monday morning and demanded action. "The sexual harassment allegations against a commerce teacher in PSBB School, Chennai, have been shocking. 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," she said. 

Later that day, the school fired the teacher and launched an investigation. The police were notified.

The school denied having any knowledge of the teacher's alleged behaviour and urged all involved to "await the outcome of the investigation." 

The school in a statement said, "The school has always had a zero tolerance against any behaviour that adversely affects the physical, emotional and psychological well-being of our students."

Students from at least two other well-known schools in the city have also identified a few teachers and filed complaints alleging sexual harassment. 

 "I've received around 200 complaints, some have suffered even sexual assault. I am trying to get in touch with the management to initiate an enquiry now," an anonymous former student of the school told NDTV. 

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