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Parents of elementary students and teachers’ organizations are protesting against the nation’s educational office’s disciplinary measure of a three-month suspension for an elementary school teacher who was reported to have sexually molested elementary students. The teacher, who has denied all charges, will still be allowed to teach in other schools following his suspension.

According to remarks made on July 25 by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and parents of students who attend the school, the teacher regularly molested students by letting female students sit on his lap, touching their breasts and kissing their cheeks, while in charge of a sixth-grade class in 2005.

In May, the parents sued the teacher and he was indicted for child mistreatment under the Child Protection Act, which makes provisions for sexual harassment and sexual violation. He was also sentenced to pay a fine of 20 million won (US$21,740). He has since launched an appeal against the decision.

The educational office in Seoul held a disciplinary hearing against the teacher earlier this month and handed down a thee-month suspension, which is the lightest punishment in heavy disciplinary measures. Cho Hak-gyu, an official from the Seoul educational office, said, “The punishment was handed down according to what is stipulated by the office’s disciplinary regulations. The teacher has appealed the decision, and denied the charges, so it is difficult to judge his actions as sexual molestation, due to the fact that it was a child protection law, not a law on sexual violence, that was applied to his actions.” The teacher, who was employed at an elementary school in Seoul, will move to another school once the suspension period is complete.

In response, 14 civil organizations, including the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, demonstrated yesterday in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in Jongno, in downtown Seoul, calling for the teacher’s dismissal.

A parent of a student who attends the school, who requested to be identified only by his surname, Kim, said, “A teacher who has habitually molested female students will remain a teacher. We do not feel safe sending our children to school.”

Han Jae-gap, a spokesperson for the Korea Federation of Teacher’s Associations, said, “The punishment of a three-month suspension, for a teacher who was given a fine of just 20 million won, is far too light for sexual molestation. The school disciplinary standard is important, but the administration should make a decision that all parents can accept.”



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