Ballarat teacher admits to grooming student for sex, gets to keep licence

A former Victorian teacher has been allowed to continue working in schools despite admitting to grooming a 15-year-old girl for sex between 1978 and 1980. Keith Currie was found guilty of serious misconduct, but the Victorian Institute of Teaching’s hearing panel found that he should still keep his teaching registration.

Currie, who taught at the Ballarat Grammar School when he was in his late 20s, confessed to kissing his student and touching her breast. She was 15 and 16 at that time. They met at his house in Creswick Forest in Melbourne, once staying together in a rented apartment.

He said he had never denied their relationship, though it was inappropriate, and that he was sorry it happened. The panel heard that he was attracted to the minor girl. He brushed his hand on her thigh and drew love hearts on her school work.

“These days, you’d probably call it grooming,” he was quoted by The Courier as saying. “I was emotionally tangled at the time. The person who meant the most to me in the world was her.”

Their relationship ended when he resigned from the school and moved interstate. He did not see the victim again until two years ago. The victim told him about the damage that he had inflicted on her.

In explaining the decision, the panel said Currie’s insight, remorse and clear understanding of his transgression were considered. It had been 37 years since he committed the act, and there had been no evidence that he repeated his misconduct to others.

He was an assistant principal at Bacchus Marsh Grammar and taught VCE maths until his role had been made redundant in 2017. Principal Andrew Neal said in a school newsletter that Currie would be pursuing other teaching opportunities, but he did not mention the allegations.

Currie’s registration was suspended for six months while VIT conducted its investigation. It published its decision on Tuesday.