‘I felt violated’
Female teacher speaks out against harassment from same-sex student
Published:Sunday | March 23, 2025 | 10:05 PMJanet Silvera/Gleaner Writer -
WESTERN BUREAU:
A female high school teacher is speaking out about a disturbing case of harassment at her school, revealing that she has been repeatedly targeted by a 15-year-old female student known for making inappropriate advances toward staff members.
In an emotional interview, the educator, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, described multiple instances where the student allegedly rubbed up against her in a sexual manner and engaged in persistent, inappropriate behaviour toward other female teachers.
“This is the second time she’s done this to me,” the teacher said. “She rubbed up against my private area. It was deliberate, and I felt violated.”
The teacher says complaints about the student’s behaviour have been made before, but school authorities have hesitated to take decisive action, in part because of the potential backlash related to the student’s identity and the perceived sensitivities around discussing harassment within the LGBTQ+ context.
“Schools tend to hush-hush these things when people make complaints,” the teacher said. “But this time, they said it’s going to be permanent. She’s going before the board.”
According to the teacher, the student has a history of problematic conduct.
“She’s been known for things like this for years,” she explained. “Recently, she started touching people, female teachers especially.”
What has made the situation even more distressing, the teacher said, is the lack of remorse shown by the student or her parent.
“There was no apology. No sense that anything was wrong,” she said. “One parent even said, ‘What should we expect?’”
While the school has finally acted to remove the student temporarily, requiring her to return only with a parent and face the school board, the teacher believes the problem is larger than one individual.
“These children are sex-driven and dangerous,” she said bluntly. “They make comments in front of you like it means nothing. There is no respect for authority anymore.” Despite the school’s eventual response, the teacher expressed concern that the root of the problem isn’t being addressed, particularly the lack of moral guidance and proper boundaries being taught at home.
“Until morals are taught at home, until children understand what sexual harassment is and what personal space means, it’s not going to get better,” she said.
Other female teachers have reportedly had similar experiences but are reluctant to speak out publicly. This educator hopes her story will encourage more staff to come forward and pressure schools to implement stronger safeguards.
“Ask the teachers, they will talk to you,” she said. “We’ve been going through hell. She’s tormenting us. It doesn’t matter what we wear, pants or dress, she still finds a way.”
Navaro Peart, head of the guidance counselling department at Mt Alvernia High School, an all-female institution in western Jamaica, was not commenting on the specific case but spoke generally about the challenges schools face in handling issues of harassment.
“In recent times, no female teacher at our school has complained of being harassed by a female student,” Peart said. “But I believe the boldness some students now display is influenced by societal factors, including what they see in the media and the normalisation of certain behaviours in high places.”
He added that guidance counsellors must consistently educate students on personal boundaries and respectful interactions.
“We talk to girls about sexuality, about what is appropriate or not – about age and positional appropriateness,” he explained.
“Still, there are some girls who believe nothing is wrong with crossing those lines. We try to help them understand, even from a natural perspective, what the limits are.”
Peart also noted that while many school rulebooks address student-on-student misconduct, there may be a gap in policies when it comes to students crossing boundaries with teachers.
“Most schools have rules stating that no student should coerce another into sexual activity,” he said. “But many of those rules are written with student-to-student situations in mind. Perhaps it’s time we consider expanding those policies.”