Allegations of sexual harassment lead to suspension of school principal in Haryana

Jind (Haryana): The principal of a senior secondary girls' school in Haryana's Jind district has been suspended following allegations of sexual harassment involving students.

PMO's Intervention
The Haryana Government suspended the principal after the Prime Minister's Office intervened in the case.

Multi-Agency Investigation
Speaking to ANI, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Harish Vashisth said, "Several teams are investigating the matter including PMO, Women's Commission, education department, and district officials. The accused has been suspended. A final decision will be taken after the completion of an enquiry. Higher authorities will decide on further course of action of termination or legal proceedings in this matter. Soon a report would be submitted."

Suspension and Pending Enquiry
A few girls of a secondary school in Haryana wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor of Haryana, and education minister on August 31, 2023, and alleged that the principal of the school molested over 10 girls, and many dropped out of the school fearing the sexual exploitation. The principal got transferred several times due to molestation complaints lodged by girls in previous schools, the letter read.

Blackmail
As per the letter, a lady teacher at the school was associated with the accused. The principal used to blackmail girls on the pretext of failing them in practical exams.

Moreover, the accused used to threaten girls saying that he would complain to their parents about them meeting their boyfriends outside the school, the girls alleged. "We are writing this letter with an unknown name as the accused may harm us if he comes to know about the identity. This matter should be investigated by higher authorities in Chandigarh and Delhi. Girls of this school should be alone during the investigation, and no local teacher or staff member should be included in the process. Girls will narrate the true face and story of this characterless principal. We have faced a similar situation in his office two times and he threatened to lodge a false complaint to parents if didn't compromise. When we narrated the story to other teachers, they asked to keep mum on the issue. Now a strict and fair action should be taken into the matter promptly," the letter read.

(With ANI inputs)