The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) has issued a strong condemnation of all sexual misconduct by educators against students, emphasizing that schools must remain secure environments for children. This declaration came in response to disturbing findings published in the 2024 Teaching Service Commission (TSC) annual report, which documented 16 separate allegations involving five different teachers across the nation’s educational system.
According to the TSC report, which prompted Newsday’s December 18 investigation titled “Probe into touchy teachers,” the allegations reveal a troubling pattern of misconduct. One primary school teacher faced five distinct abuse allegations, while another primary educator was accused in two separate cases, and a third faced one allegation of sexual misconduct. At the secondary level, one teacher was implicated in a single case, while another secondary educator confronted four separate misconduct matters. The report did not clarify whether multiple allegations against individual teachers involved repeated abuse of single victims or multiple victims.
TTUTA President Crystal Ashe articulated the union’s position, stating, “Our schools are and should always be safe zones for all who occupy them, including students.” While acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations, the teachers’ association refrained from commenting on specific cases currently under review by the TSC. The union emphasized its confidence in existing legal mechanisms and the collaborative efforts between the Teaching Service Commission and the Ministry of Education to properly address such incidents.
The association has urged all TSC members to strictly comply with legal requirements, particularly emphasizing the thorough and timely reporting of all sexual misconduct cases. “Our students are our future leaders,” the statement concluded, “and we all should work together to keep them safe.” Notably, none of the five accused teachers have faced criminal proceedings to date, with all matters remaining within the TSC’s administrative jurisdiction.