20-06-2025
Tamil Nadu school education department revokes compulsory retirement of art teacher
COIMBATORE: The School Education Department has revoked the Coimbatore Chief Educational Officer's (CEO) order for the compulsory retirement of an art teacher at Government Higher Secondary School in Alandurai, on the city's outskirts.
SA Rajkumar, the art teacher who exposed the sexual harassment of a girl student at the same school, was suspended by CEO R Balamurali in 2023 over allegations of dereliction of duty. Later, the CEO issued his compulsory retirement in 2024.
When Rajkumar appealed against the CEO's compulsory retirement to the Joint Director (JD) Personnel of the School Education Department, the latter stated in an order on June 6, 2025, that the CEO, against whom the petitioner had made charges, had acted as the inquiry officer for Rajkumar.
The compulsory retirement of the art teacher given by the CEO is considered an improper action based on his inquiry report. The art teacher's compulsory retirement has been revoked, but his suspension will continue, the JD's letter said.
The CEO has been directed to appoint a new inquiry officer to investigate the allegations against the art teacher. According to sources, in 2023, a girl student from the school told the art teacher that a Physical Education (PE) teacher had harassed her sexually.
