The school director accused of raping a Mathayom Suksa 3 girl student and carrying a gun in public has been found by a preliminary investigation to have committed a serious breach of discipline and could end up being dismissed from government service, a senior education official said on Wednesday.
Sangkorn Rakchuchuen, director of the Zone 16 Secondary Education Office, said the investigation into the actions of Sayan Chaleephol, 60, director of Thepha School, began after the mother of the girl filed a police complaint, supported by some evidence, accusing him of rap
He said the investigation found there was evidence to substantiate the rape charge against Mr Sayan. The investigation report had been sent to the Education Office of Songkhla.
Mr Sayan had been temporarily suspended from government service pending further investigation.
The provincial education office would set up a committee to investigate and take information from both the school director and the damaged party. This would be completed within 90 days.
If the investigation confirmed the previous finding, Mr Sayan would be dismissed from government service. This could be either with or without pension entitlements, Mr Sangkorn said.
Although Mr Sayan had tendered his resignation, it would not affect the investigation, he added.
Pol Col Thammarat Phetnongchum, the Thepha police chief, said four charges had been laid against the school director – rape, depriving a child of parental protection, carrying a gun in public and obscene behaviour.
The charge of carrying a gun in public stemmed from an incident on Feb 4, during the school’s morning flag-raising assembly and in the presence of hundreds of students and teachers. Mr Sayan apologised for his “personal problem” and then displayed a handgun, saying he wanted to make his apology loud, causing the students and teachers to scatter in panic.
Pol Col Thammarat said Mr Sayan be summonsed to formally acknowledge the charges, or he could surrender himself to police.
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