Ejisuman SHS sex scandal: Stop media trial – GNAT warns

The National President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), David Ofori Acheampong, has warned the general public to desist from making prejudicial comments on the sex scandal involving some teachers at the Ejisuman Senior High School in the Ashanti region.

Claims are that eight teachers of the school have been indicted in a report on the sex scandal. GNAT has received flak from the public for failing to instil discipline in the teachers in order to comply with the ethics of the profession.

For instance, the National Youth Authority in a statement described the posture of GNAT and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) as "defensive" and “protectionist" while showing no support for the victimised girls.

“That care-givers are sex predators must alarm parents and guardians whose trust has been clearly betrayed. It is very heart-breaking to learn of teachers looking for kisses from female students when they should be looking after their welfare.

“While some are training students to rise up to their potential and participate in World Robotics Championship, some predators are pushing students to kneel down and perform sex acts. But the National Youth Authority finds even more shocking that lack of outrage by professional bodies like GNAT and NAGRAT.

“Since the probe began, public comments from the leadership of these bodies have been defensive, protectionist and some have shades of victim-blaming. All over the world, organisations are waking up to a culture of sexual harassment at work places,” the statement said.

But speaking on the Ghana Yensom show on Accra 100.5FM on Thursday April 5, Mr Acheampong said: “Since the inception of formal education, teachers have taken advantage of students, it is morally wrong and unethical. It doesn’t only happen to teachers and we as a union we frown on it, it is against our ethics and we always caution the teachers against that act.



“And so as a union we are waiting for a copy of the report, and subject the people to due process, we stop the media trials otherwise we will find them guilty when they have not been given the opportunity to defend themselves.”