…but admits to relationships with former students

THE Bishops’ High School Business and Economics teacher who has been accused of grooming and sexually molesting students of the said institution on Tuesday denied all allegations leveled against him, but admitted that he has had relationships with former students of the Georgetown-based senior secondary school.

At a news conference held at a Brickdam office, Coen Jackson, in the presence of his attorneys, Jerome Khan, Priyanka Sookraj and Siand Dhurjon said “absolutely not,” when asked by reporters if he has ever sexually molested any child or student. He admitted to having sexual relations with two former students of the senior secondary school and said, “You can’t stop people from falling in love; you can’t stop people from interacting.”

Jackson in his own defence sought to lay blame at the feet of Cultural Policy Advisor, Ruel Johnson who on Monday wrote a letter of complaint to Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson and copied the missive to Nicolette Henry, Minister of Education; Khemraj Ramjattan, Vice-President and Minister of Public Security; Amna Ally, Minister of Social Protection; Volda Lawrence, Minister of Public Health; Basil Williams, Minister of Legal Affairs; and George Norton, Minister of Social Cohesion (Culture, Youth and Sport) on the issue.

Johnson in his missive, outlined the teacher’s alleged predatory behaviour over the years and noted that he learned of the allegations a few months ago and began his investigation of the matter then. He has since spoken with victims of the public school and said since his social media posts on the subject, several other past students from other schools, where Jackson taught, came forward with similar reports.

But even as Jackson sought to debunk the allegations leveled against him, he admitted that he is currently in an intimate relationship with a now 21-year- old woman who attended the Bishops’ High School. Asked by reporters to state when that relationship started, the teacher would only say a few years ago. “She is 21…it absolutely did not start at school… they (the two former students) were never under my instruction at the time,” Jackson said in response to questions, while making it clear that he is now friends with many of his former students.

He admitted too that prior to his current relationship, he also shared a relationship with another past student who is now in her early 20s, but emphasised that both relationships began after the women left the school system and were adults. The teacher who says he has over 15 years’ experience as a teacher accepted that his relationships with the two past students does not paint a good picture. “I understand the concern.

On a moral ground it doesn’t look good on me, I admit. That is one of the reasons I am contemplating…I don’t think I could carry on as a teacher at the Bishops’ High school for that reason,” Jackson stated. He said he has been discrete about his relationships with the two past students because of the public perception. “I understand that, however, you can’t stop people from falling in love; you can’t stop people from interacting,” he said, noting that he has a “very strong relationship with that young lady, extremely strong relationship with her.”

THIS IS NO SLAM BANG
“Yes, I have been to Colombia with her, yes, I’ve been to Aruba, New York, Mexico with her. This is not some slam bang- the impression Ruel Johnson is giving of me,” declared the teacher who said this has brought his unblemished career to an end.
“I don’t see how I could recover from something like this, ever, ever, ever. It doesn’t matter where I might go in the world… this stain, people will always have suspicious of me; I just have to live with this.”

The Business and Economics teacher described the allegations as unfortunate but noted that it stemmed from “some serious disagreements” with Johnson. In fact, he disclosed that he was in a relationship with a past student, who is currently in a relationship with Johnson. ”Mr. Johnson is using information that came to his disposal through a relationship in which he is involved in, and with a person I had known to paint a picture of me that is far removed from the person I am, feeding a media frenzy,” Jackson said from a prepared text.

He also accused Johnson of threatening to destroy his career following their disagreements. “Mr Johnson has adapted an abrasive position as he is exposed as being intellectually weak. As a result of that he has threatened to have me removed from the teaching service and launched a vicious social media campaign maligning my reputation and character.”
Jackson, 39, said too that Johnson threatened him and stated among other things that he should refrain from contacting his (Johnson’s) girlfriend or he will “destroy me publicly.”

Moreover, the teacher quoted Johnson as stating, “I can guarantee you I am going to use my considerable connection in the media to pointedly identify me and have you removed as a teacher in the public education system.” According to Jackson, Johnson “went absolutely berserk” when he discovered that he (Jackson) was still in close contact with his (Johnson’s) girlfriend. “I have severed all communication with his person; I respect her personal space and feel sorry that she has been dragged into Johnson’s unhinged campaign,” while noting that this is the end of his teaching career.

On Tuesday, Johnson issued a statement standing by his comments on the issue. He said, “…since this issue has started, multiple young women have in fact come out to say publicly that he has sexually propositioned them while they were his students at various institutions, including Guyana Technical Institute, the Business School, School of the Nations, Georgetown Technical Institute, Leonora Technical Institute, and Mae’s.”

He pointed a former student of the Business School’s recount of Jackson targeting young female students and failing them when they refused to give in to his sexual advances.
“Another former student from the School of the Nations wrote that he would invite students over to his house ‘asking for [fellatio] in order to receive the exams questions in advance or have a sexual relationship with him’.”

Johnson also pointed to a statement made by Dr. Melissa Ifill, who said about two years ago she learned of Jackson’s behaviour when a prospective Sixth Form student went to register at the school. “He went into her file, copied her number and started calling and texting her – sickening gross conversations that her mother discovered, then answered the phone and heard him herself one day. Mind you, this young woman wasn’t a student as yet,” said Dr. Ifill in a Facebook comment.

SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT
Meanwhile, Johnson believes that Jackson has failure to take responsibility for his advances towards the female students, for which he can be charged under the Sexual Offences Act. He said, blaming his effort to ensure that he is no longer in a position of trust on a personal vendetta “does not exist.”

But Jackson told reporters that the Cultural Policy Advisor has created a caricature of him as a beast and predator and noted that many of his students could testify to his professionalism and competence.

“I have a track record of high performance,” he declared, adding that this is the first time such allegations have been made against him. “This is the very first time such accusations have been made against me. I have taught at many schools- I reckon about five…nobody has ever brought any complaint to my attention, ever,” the teacher who has taken a leave of absence stated.

Meanwhile, when asked specifically about an incident involving a former student, who accused Jackson of making sexual advances, Jackson’s attorney intervened stating: “We’re not going to get into specifics because the social media with which you referred to is inundated with people who maybe anonymous, pretending to be one person or another … so that particular thing you are reading, we are not going to answer to that,” Attorney Jerome Khan posited while stating, “suppose now it’s Ruel Johnson” pretending to be a victim.

Though not yet contacted by authorities, Jackson has committed to cooperating fully when contacted. He defended the administration of the Bishops’ High School describing the situation as “unfortunate” and “regrettable.” “It is so unfortunate; they have absolutely nothing to do with these allegations. It has been horrendous, it has been absolutely unfair,” said Jackson who does not believe the head teacher of the school should step down, given her diatribe against the female students of the school on Monday.

One of his attorneys, Jerome Khan said his client has not broken the law by having sexual encounters with consenting adults, but cautioned persons who are maligning his client on social media to desist from doing so. The attorney accused Johnson of lynching his client publicly and noted that he would not telegraph what his intention is with respect to that. Khan however called on Johnson to respect the administrative procedures that have to take place in such matters.

“You cannot say you are a high-ranking functionary of the government and you have no regard for natural justice. How could you? You cannot be representing the government and you have no respect for natural justice – so you want to accuse, prosecute, convict, condemn and sentence in the media without allowing the administrative process to take place.

That cannot be fair,” declared Khan. Johnson stated in his missive to the Chief Education Officer (CEO) that he has no confidence in the school’s administration as Jackson seems to be protected. He said accusations of harassment and predation by the teacher have “been systematically met by mockery, disapproval, and even condemnation by the school administration.”