Narara Valley High Principal Michael Gibson: Shock details of sacking revealed
The shocking details of an investigation into the former principal of a Central Coast high school can now be revealed. Read why he was sacked here.
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A Central Coast principal was sacked following a confidential NSW Education investigation after allegations of inappropriate touching by a fellow staff member.
The same report also investigated former Narara Valley High School principal Michael Gibson’s relationship with an 18-year-old student at Lisarow High School, when he was a teacher at that school, but cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Education Department sources have confirmedthe investigation by the department’s Professional Ethical Standards Committee.
The findings were not handed over to NSW Police as the committee concluded that he had entered into a “consensual relationship with an 18-year-old student who he did not teach” while working as a teacher at Lisarow High School.
Last week the Express Advocaterevealed the Education Department had terminated Mr Gibson’s employment after less than a year in the top job at Narara Valley.
However, the NSW Education Department refused to elaborate on the findings of the investigation.
It can now be revealed he was terminated as a result of allegations of inappropriate touching at a staff function in December 2019 while he was principal at Narara Valley.
Independent sources confirmed, while Mr Gibson was teaching at Lisarow High around 2015, his marriage broke down and he commenced an intimate, sexual relationship with an 18-year-old girl who was studying for her HSC at the school.
Following her graduation, he brought the former student to an end-of-year staff function as a “special guest”.
“This is considered a consensual relationship because Gibson didn’t teach her and she was 18 at the time of the relationship,” a senior Education source said. “This means there is no position of authority or care over the student and it is legal.
Gibson and his teenage lover then moved out to the state’s Riverina together, before he was transferred to Nyngan High School in 2016.
He spent three years in the state’s far north before accruing enough transfer points to take the principal's position at Narara at the start of Term 3 in 2019.
The Express Advocate understands the school’s P & C was disappointed the position did not go to a panel of applicants to be chosen on merit.
However, by the time he moved back to the Central Coast his relationship with the former student had ended.
An official investigation was launched after a Central Coast teacher recorded an alleged incident of sexual harassment at an end-of-year staff Christmas party — submitting it to the NSW Education Department.
“As soon as information of the (alleged) appropriate touching was handed over to the Education Department an investigation was launched by the Professional Ethical Standards committee which resulted in his termination due to unethical conduct,” the senior education source confirmed.
When the investigation was launched at the start of last year, Mr Gibson was put on “special duties” and was only officially terminated in the second last week of Term 1 this year.
The source confirmed the department had “no prior knowledge” of reported incidents before Mr Gibson was promoted through the credit system to the role of principal at Narara Valley High in 2019.
A NSW Education Department spokeswoman said matters concerning departmental employees “are confidential”.
“Therefore it is not appropriate to comment further,” the spokeswoman said.
A NSW Police spokeswoman said there was no police investigation into allegations surrounding Mr Gibson: “It is a matter for the Department of Education”.
Despite exhaustive efforts to contact Mr Gibson, he has declined to respond or comment on the allegations.
There is no suggestion of any criminal wrongdoing by Mr Gibson.
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