Tamil Nadu school education department withdraws forced retirement of art teacher

School Education Department withdrew the order of Coimbatore Chief Educational Officer (CEO) for compulsory retirement of an art teacher in Government Higher Secondary School, Alandurai, on the outskirts of the city.

SA Rajkumar, the school art teacher who uncovered the sexual harassment of a female student at the same school, was suspended by CEO R Balamurali in 2023 on charges of neglect of duty. Subsequently, the CEO ordered his compulsory retirement in 2024.

On the appeal of Rajkumar of the CEO's compulsory retirement to the Joint Director (JD) Personnel of the School Education Department, the latter, in an order dated June 6, 2025, said the CEO, against whom charges had been made by the petitioner, had worked as the inquiry officer for Rajkumar.

The forced retirement of the art teacher issued by the CEO is deemed an inappropriate act on his basis of inquiry report. The forced retirement of the art teacher has been withdrawn, but his suspension will remain, the JD's letter mentioned.

The CEO has been instructed to appoint a new inquiry officer to probe the accusations against the art teacher. In 2023, sources say, a girl student from the school informed the art teacher that she was sexually harassed by a Physical Education (PE) teacher.

Even after the student had lodged a written complaint against the PE teacher to the headmistress, nothing was done. The headmistress and other teachers supposedly covered up the complaint in an attempt to defend the PE teacher. Upon revelation of this, the police arrested the PE teacher in December 2023. The art teacher was suspended later in the same month, citing that his actions were greatly affecting the integrity of the institution.

Additionally, the current CEO did nothing against the headmistress and teachers. Then, the art teacher complaintantly went to the district collector and Superintendent of Police (Rural) Coimbatore District office on many occasions, making demands for legal proceedings against them on the grounds of attempting to conceal the student's complaint. He booked the CEO on charges of not initiating departmental action against them.

At the same time, the police filed a Pocso case against six teachers, including headmistress, for concealing the complaint of the student last year. Subsequently, the headmistress was suspended, and five teachers were transferred to another school. In the meantime, on the basis of complaint, CEO awarded compulsory retirement to the art teacher on the charge of giving an interview to the media, and distributing petitions on grievances day by bunking classes, sources said.