PTA, former students sue director over alleged sex abuse

An Odeda Magistrate Court, sitting in Ogun State yesterday continued the hearing of a suit instituted by the former Parents Teachers Association (PTA) chairman, Mr. Lanre Eric, and an ex-student, Malachi Mailaje, of Stephen Center International School, against the Director, Rev. Isaac Oluwole, over an alleged sexual harassment of the school’s female students.

The ex-students, under the aegis of Concerned Past Students of St Stephen Children Home (CPSSCH) together with the former PTA chairman had filed a suit before Justice B.O. Ilo, alleging that a teacher of the school was sometimes arrested for sexually harassing a female student.

At yesterday’s sitting, Eric told the court that as chairman, he received several complaints from students about sexual abuse of the female students by the teachers. “I later heard that the Director (Oluwole) was also deeply involved”, he told the court.

The plaintiffs were represented by Moses Oluwakayode, while the defendant was represented by Daniel Oyenka.Eric, who is the first witness in the case, testified that as chairman some parents complained to him that the Director had been sexually abusing their female students, adding “My own daughter also showed some unusual traits of sexual overt.”

He recalled: “I started running the school PTA in 2013. What I can say about the sex issue in the school is that it was rampant at all levels when I was the PTA chairman. Parents usually complained to me about it.

“Later another teacher, Mr Ola got into the same act with an SS1 student called Omolara. The teacher had been sexually harassing the girl before she voiced out but the man was later arrested with the girl in his house.”

“Due to the immorality, I withdrew my children from the school at the end of 2014/2015 session. There were number of complaints which came from parents that indicated that the school was not being managed properly, one of the major issues in the school was the immorality that trailed.”

The second witness, Mr. Malachi Mailaje, disclosed that a female student of the school once confided in him that the director of the school had been sleeping with her.Justice Ilo adjourned the case to Monday December 3, for further hearing.