Chennai (Tamilnadu), May 28: Even as Chennai Police arrested Rajagopalan, the private school teacher from Chennai, who was involved in sexually harassing students in their online class, several other students have also accused him of sexual harassment. Shockingly, students from other schools and colleges have also been complaining about sexual harassment by their teachers.
In mid-May, students of Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan (PSBB) complained that their commerce teacher Rajagopalan, 59, was sexually harassing students in their online class. This complaint was shared on Twitter by DMK MP Kanimozhi and it went viral after that.
Then Chennai Ashok Nagar All Women Police Station investigated this matter. On May 23, Jayalakshmi the Deputy Commissioner of Police for Crime against Women and Children in Chennai visited PSBB School and spoke to students and teachers there.
On May 25, PSBB School’s Trustee Sheela Rajendra and Principal Geetha Govindarajan were summoned by Ashok Nagar Police Station and questioned for three hours. School principal Geetha Govindarajan was interrogated by Jayalakshmi and Harikiran Prasad the Deputy Commissioner of police in T Nagar Region in Chennai. The next day, the principal was again questioned for three more hours.
During the investigation, police officials asked a lot of questions such as ‘How many students and parents have lodged a complaint against Rajagopalan? Why didn't you take action based on the complaint? Why didn't you bring those complaints to the attention of the police? etc.
Principal Geetha Govindarajan remained silent to most of the questions, informed the police. Due to this controversy, Tamil Nadu government has ordered schools that are conducting online classes to register themselves. Chief Minister MK Stalin has ordered that online class videos should be recorded and also monitored and reviewed by parents and teachers associations. Also, Tamil Nadu government has warned that if teachers misbehave in online classes, they will be severely dealt with under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences, (POCSO) Act.
Shockingly, news is emerging of parents and students of more than 30 schools and colleges who have lodged complaints against teachers who indulge in sexual harassment in the past. The PSBB School case seems to be the trigger that has emboldened students to speak up against sexual harassment by teachers in Tamil Nadu.