Source: Radio New Zealand
(file photo) RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Northland Regional Council says a woman whose teaching registration was cancelled for serious misconduct is no longer employed by them.
The Teaching Council’s Disciplinary Tribunal has found April Nordstrom had a sexual relationship with a student at Whangārei Girls’ High School and behaved inappropriately towards three other students at Horowhenua College in Levin.
The years the students attended the schools have not been disclosed by the tribunal to protect their identities.
Northland Regional Council Chief Executive Jonathan Gibbard told RNZ that Nordstrom was their Māori Policy Planner from 2022 until the role was disestablished.
“The Māori Policy Planner position was fixed-term in nature, which came to an end earlier this year.
“Whilst April is no longer employed by Northland Regional Council as an employee, she was engaged as an external contractor, which will be reviewed.”
He said the council did pre-employment checks, but would not answer questions about what Nordstrom disclosed to them prior to being hired.
‘We are not able to provide private information due to the Privacy Act.
“However, we can confirm that we have an extensive recruitment process where we conduct a number of pre-employment checks before making offers to suitable candidates.
“The position of the Māori Policy Planner was to advise on policy and planning matters; the position did not require contact with children and young people.
“At NRC, we conduct police vetting for those who hold positions that work with children as per the Children’s Act.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
