Teacher Leaves Classroom After Suffering Stalking and Sexual Harassment by Student

A female teacher at a high school in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, has ultimately left her classroom after failing to receive effective separation measures following sexual harassment and stalking by a student.

According to the Gyeonggi Teachers Union and the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, teacher A, who works at a high school in Hwaseong, received a letter in late June from a second-year male student, B, containing explicit sexual desires and feelings.

The letter mentioned the teacher's name more than 34 times and included content describing sexual fantasies while demanding that the teacher reciprocate those feelings.

Teacher A claimed she had already been suffering from severe anxiety due to continuous stalking behavior by student B in hallways and the teachers' office even before receiving the letter.

She reported experiencing panic symptoms after receiving the letter.

The Hwaseong Osan Office of Education issued disciplinary measures against student B on July 20, ordering a "class reassignment" and "8 hours of special education."

However, problems arose again after the start of the second semester.

Because teacher A was the sole teacher in charge of that elective subject at the school, she was placed in a situation where she would have to face student B again during class despite the change in homeroom classes.

Teacher A requested specific separation alternatives from the school, such as changing student B's elective subject, taking online supplementary courses, or hiring a substitute teacher.

However, the school expressed hesitation, stating, "It is difficult to force a student to change elective subjects, and issues regarding evaluation fairness could arise if a substitute teacher is hired."

Ultimately, as the school reopened on the 18th without practical separation measures in place, teacher A could not endure the psychological distress, took sick leave, and stopped going to work.

The Gyeonggi Teachers Union criticized the situation, stating, "The reality where the victim, rather than the perpetrator, has to take sick leave destroys the morale of teachers."

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education views this matter seriously and has decided to assign a dedicated teacher protection officer to begin reviewing the case.

In addition, through the newly launched "Teacher Rights Protection Task Force" on the 22nd, the office plans to intensively investigate the appropriateness of the school's teacher rights protection committee measures and practical alternatives for separation.

(Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Choi Kang-san | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.