Monday, October 22, 2007

Teacher At Oprah School Dismissed For Misconduct

A teacher at Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa has been "removed from the campus" following a "serious claim of misconduct..."
No details have been made known, nor is it clear when the offence took place. The gender of the accused house parent was not disclosed. The incident has led to the head of the academy taking a leave of absence and the school engaging investigators from the US. "Nothing is more serious or devastating to me than an allegation of misconduct by an adult against any girl at the academy. I will do everything within my power to ensure their safety and wellbeing," Oprah said in a statement. On Thursday, academy CEO John Samuel said "Upon receiving this information, we removed the person in question from the campus, notified the Child Protection Services and took immediate action to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the academy's learners, We have engaged professional investigators of the highest standing from South Africa and the US to conduct a fair and impartial inquiry into these claims. The inquiry is being conducted in a manner that supports the safe and nurturing environment of the academy, with minimal disruption to campus life," said Samuel, adding that the academy was providing psychological support and counselling services to the learners.