Dumped Punchbowl High principal Chris Griffiths headed back to the classroom
HE WAS dumped more than a year ago amid allegations he was radicalising students. Now, The Sunday Telegraph can exclusively reveal former Punchbowl High School principal Chris Griffiths is back teaching.
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A YEAR after being dumped as principal amid allegations of radicalising students at Punchbowl Boys High School, Chris Griffiths is back teaching.
The Muslim convert, who was sensationally removed from his job, along with his deputy Joumana Dennaoui in March last year, has been appointed to a high school in outer-western Sydney.
The placement follows the discontinuation of two separate actions by Mr Griffiths, Ms Dennaoui and the NSW Teachers Federation in the NSW Supreme Court and NSW Industrial Commission.
A departmental source said Mr Griffiths had accepted the findings of an internal investigation by the Employee Performance and Conduct unit.
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It can also be revealed the departmental charges against Mr Griffiths related to the “administration” of the school and “staff disunity”.
The removal of the principals triggered speculation that they had been removed for refusing to work against the radicalisation of students, most of whom are Muslim.
This included claims Mr Griffiths practised an unofficial policy of excluding female teachers from Year 12 graduation ceremonies and presentation days, and refused to run a voluntary departmental deradicalisation program to counter extremism despite the school being deemed “high risk”.
There were also claims that relations had broken down with local police liaison officers and that non-Muslim staff were subjected to verbal attacks.
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At the time, departmental secretary Mark Scott attributed their removal to Mr Griffiths failing to report violent threats made against one of his teachers by a student.
He also said female staff had felt excluded. The charges against the pair did not relate to radicalisation, but focused on “disunity” among staff and school “administration”.
Mr Griffiths, who has remained on the payroll, has accepted a demotion from principal to teacher, and has also agreed to undergo “transitioning” courses ahead of starting his new role. An established folk-rock musician who used music to “connect” to disadvantaged students, Mr Griffiths declined to speak on the record.
But he made it clear many of the allegations levelled against him were unfounded, pointing out photographs on his Twitter profile show women at school ceremonies and multicultural community dinners.