NSW Department of Education took 10 years to remove teacher accused of historical child sexual abuse

A Sydney primary school teacher under investigation over historical child sexual abuse allegations was only removed from classroom duties after questions were raised by ABC Investigations, despite the state education department being aware of the claims for a decade. Key points: An alleged victim is cooperating with ACT Police on a new investigation NSW Department of Education confirmed the man was still under its employ The department said it closed its investigation in 2015 after the victim declined to be contacted again The teacher's alleged grooming and sexual abuse of a teenage girl in a Canberra Catholic high school in the 1990s was the subject of a civil lawsuit and compensation payout settled by the Catholic Education Office of Canberra and Goulburn in 2021. The woman said she was cooperating with ACT police as part of a new investigation into the matter, but confirmed that she only became aware her alleged abuser was still a school teacher when provided information by ABC Investigations. In response to questions from ABC Investigations, the Education Department confirmed that its Employee Performance and Conduct directorate launched an investigation into the matter in 2013 and interviewed the alleged victim's mother.