Education Minister Comments on Muffles College High School Controversy

Principal of Muffles College High School in Orange Walk Town, Maria Johnston has come under fire for allegedly bullying and humiliating one of her female teachers. As we have been reporting, the teacher was placed on administrative leave after nude pictures of her were leaked. The Teaching Services Commission denied a request to have her fired and instead ordered her reinstatement. Principal Johnston reportedly announced to the student body that the teacher was back despite her ‘explicit, sexual pornographic nude pictures’. So, the aggrieved teacher is demanding an apology. Today Education Minister, Patrick Faber, commented on the matter. 

Patrick Faber, Minister of Education

“It is not proper practice for the government to step into every situation to big stick and approach. In fact, if you look at how schools are managed at the secondary level, there is a managing authority, which is the board. So even when a school is owned by the government—like Maud Williams here is owned by the government—the minister can’t come here and dictate what’s happening. There is a board made up of representatives that represent various stakeholders and they are the ones who deal with these tough issues that come up with the school. And again, it is a second time in this interview that I am using the phrase superman, but everybody wants the ministry to swoop down and rescue a situation, which is not always the case, but more importantly not always the legal way of doing things. The matter having been taken to the Teaching Services Commission for consideration and a decision being made by the Teaching Services Commission should be upheld. I have heard the very same things that you have said have occurred where the principal may have made worse the situation by calling out the name of the teacher and all of that in the school setting. If that did happen, then I certainly don’t condone that. But as it is, the situation relates to the posting and all of that, that kind of practice I’ve gone on the record to say is absolutely wrong. Again that is what the situations though that the social media environment now seem to gravitate to big time.”