Kulai school principal resigns amid sex scandal on campus

Summary

• Foon Yew High School’s Kulai branch principal has resigned amid mounting allegations of sexual misconduct on campus and mishandling of such cases.

• The school board has formed an independent committee to handle complaints, a teacher has been placed on leave, and two individuals have been arrested by the police - a 16- and 19-year-old.

• The board admitted to initial failings and pledged to ensure a proper learning environment moving forward.

The principal of Foon Yew High School in Kulai, Johor, has resigned amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct occurring on school grounds and the school’s mishandling of such cases.

In a statement, the school’s board of directors said it received Gan Chuang Chee’s resignation letter on April 12 and unanimously agreed to respect his “personal wishes” during a meeting yesterday.

The statement today did not elaborate on the reasons behind the resignation, but said it would follow established procedures to ensure a smooth transition and continue providing a high-quality environment for teaching and learning.

The statement also says, without elaboration, “Regarding complaints by the alumni, it will be handed over to an independent five-member committee.”

Earlier this month, female students and alumni at the school complained that their photos were being doctored by a male student, without their consent, in a sexually explicit manner.

They claimed the images were then sold in a chat group for profit, and the school merely gave the alleged perpetrator two minor reprimands.

Following this, the school’s board clarified on April 10 that the alleged perpetrator had been expelled, but acknowledged that it had failed to respond to complaints swiftly.

Police have also detained a 16-year-old alleged mastermind and a 19-year-old suspect to facilitate investigations.

Since the incident with the doctored images, however, other allegations of sexual misconduct and complaints of the school’s mishandling have surfaced, involving both the home campus in Johor Bahru and the branch in Kulai.

In one widely circulated account, an alumna claiming to be a 2012 graduate from the Kulai branch accused her former teacher of touching her inappropriately about 15 years ago.

She claimed “Teacher G” would toucher her head, hold her hands and waist, and other behaviour.

She said it took her 10 years of introspection and therapy, and the #MeToo movement in Taiwan in 2023, for her to come to terms with the fact that the teacher’s behaviour was not affectionate, and she was a victim of an abuse of power.

Nanyang Siang Pau quoted the school board’s chairperson stating on April 12 that the teacher has been put on leave, effective the following day, pending investigations.

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