HM ‘slack and loose’ comment draws protest
Activists protesting in front of the Bishops’ High School following sexual abuse allegations against a teacher and
comments made by the school’s Principal, Winifred Ellis (Samuel Maughn photo)
Activists protesting in front of the Bishops’ High School following sexual abuse allegations against a teacher and comments made by the school’s Principal, Winifred Ellis (Samuel Maughn photo)

By Lisa Hamilton
A group of concerned citizens on Tuesday picketed Bishops’ High School calling attention to statements made by the school’s principal which sought to shield Economics Teacher, Coen Jackson who is accused of sexually molesting several female students.

Commissioner on the Women and Gender Equality Commission and Child Rights Activist, Ms. Nicole Cole (Photos by Samuel Maughn)

Jackson has since denied the allegations. On Tuesday the picketers called for the dismissal of the Principal, Mrs. Winifred Ellis.

Jackson stands accused by Cultural Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Social Cohesion, Ruel Johnson, of allegedly sexually grooming and preying on female students from several high schools during his years of teaching.
Johnson has since compiled a list of victims of the teacher, who is now represented by Attorney-at-law, Mr. Jerome Khan.

A recording surfaced of Ellis, berating students, during a General Assembly on Monday for failing to come to the defense of the accused teacher. Ellis referred to the female students as “slack” and “loose”, requesting those who felt uncomfortable around Jackson in the past, to publicly step out of the assembly line or make a show of hands. Identifying themselves as concerned citizens, activists and past students, the group in protest carried placards and chanted for legal action to be taken on the matter.

Blogger and columnist, Akola Thompson

Newspaper columnist, Akola Thompson said that a significant portion of the reactions received thus far focused primarily on protecting the reputation of the school rather than that of the students. “I’ve been to several high schools and in all of them, I knew at least one teacher who liked little girls, who would go after them and molest them or harass them and it would always be swept under the rug because that’s just what happens,” Thompson lamented.

“Everybody normalised it so much that we no longer see a big issue with teachers being with their students.”

Concurring was, playwright, Mosa Telford who said that she was not completely taken aback by the unfolding. “We got a culture of silence in this country. I listened to the recording last night and I couldn’t believe what this woman was saying, but then, can I say I’m completely surprised? No, because I find that [with] a lot of the older generation

Students display placards of their own

there’s always this thing about keeping up appearances…and keeping up the image of the school when all these nasty things are happening.”

Telford added, “I’m hoping that this doesn’t just come to light now and we talk about it for a few weeks and then as usual, with a lot of other things in this country, it just goes under the table.”

Holding a placard on which Articles 3 and 19 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2010, were written, Commissioner on the Women and Gender Equality Commission and Child Rights Activist, Ms. Nicole Cole, called for the headmistress to be removed.

The activist, who identified herself as a survivor of child sexual abuse, said that after hearing the recording, it evoked unfavourable childhood memories, and she asserted that the headmistress had “victimised the victims twice”. “The child in me became so scared, even though I’m an adult and I’m an activist speaking for the rights of children, women and citizens in Guyana…What she has done is to make every child who would have gone through the heinous abuse, re-victimise them twice…and we wonder why Guyana has a burdening rape culture?”

A group of protesters outside the Bishops’ High School

She further added that Guyanese needed to “name and shame” those who abuse children instead of protecting them.

“It’s adults like her, here she is telling the students how ‘loose’ they are, I want to say to you Mrs. Winifred Ellis, you are loose, you are slack, you are running a ‘bloody horror school’. Because if you have a teacher in your midst and information has come that you have girls who are subjected to abuse, then you have a right to intervene and to ensure that those students are given the best type of care.”

SILENT PROTEST
However, unbeknownst to many, this was not the only protest ongoing. During the demonstration, a few students of the Bishops’ High School (BHS) were seen bearing placards of their own. It is understood that while many are concerned about the welfare of the students, some pupils objected to the call for the dismissal of Ms. Ellis and are now worried about how the absence of the teacher may affect them.

Two placards, one stating, ‘Think of our future, #This Affects Us’ and the other, ‘HM didn’t fail us’ were extended through the school’s window in silent protest for the visibility of public.

Jackson’s attorney has since accused Johnson of failing to follow procedure by “leaking information to the press”, therefore interrupting the work of the system.
On the topic, another protester, Mr. Don Singh, contended by saying that if persons saw something they should, “say something, do something”.

“If we wait on officials to see, do or act, we might wait for a long time. So if you see something, say something,” a frustrated Singh added. “We need to stop being predators on our kids, on our children. Everywhere you look, someone in authority, whether it be the police, whether it be the teachers…I’m outraged !”

Johnson has recommended the establishment of a School Sexual Predation Investigative Committee to further probe the matter.

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1 thought on “HM ‘slack and loose’ comment draws protest”

  1. Ask many of the young ladies over 12 years how may of them are still pure…………..meaning they are still virgins at their age……………..can the Head Mistress be blamed for her comments?????????????
    She commented as she saw fit.

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