A long-serving school head has been severely rebuked over “the worst kind of misconduct.”
A long-serving school principal has been rebuked over “the worst kind of misconduct” after it was revealed she forged her own performance appraisal.
Jenny Eugenia Brenda Leach had been head of Ferguson Intermediate School in Otara for 22 years before admitting the forgery in November 2014.
Not only did Leach complete her own appraisal but she also fraudulently attached her husband’s electronic signature - at the time, he was headmaster at Auckland’s prestigious King’s College.
The New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal found that Leach’s behaviour was in direct violation of the standards expected by anyone in the industry.
“The respondent’s actions breached a fundamental obligation to be truthful in appraisals, reflected poorly on her fitness to teach, and brought the reputation of the profession into disrepute,” read a summary of the tribunal’s decision.
The quasi-judicial body also went on to say that Leach’s behaviour was among the most egregious it had seen and had no choice but to hand down the most severe reprimand.
“[Leach’s behaviour] struck at the heart of the expectation for honesty and integrity that teachers owe the public,” the tribunal wrote in its decision.
“We consider this to be a clear-cut example of the worst kind of misconduct for which the maximum penalty of cancellation is reserved,” it added.
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As a result, Leach was removed from the teachers’ register.