Teaching Council ‘urgently assessing’ video of ‘submarine commander’ teacher pointing slug gun in classroom

Sunday, 17 May 2026

The Teaching Council is 'urgently gathering and assessing information' after Stuff sent it a video of teacher pointing a slug gun in a classroom and warning students not to be late “otherwise bad stuff happens”.

The man featured in the footage, understood to be from 2023 at New Plymouth Boys’ High School, is Marlborough Boys’ College teacher Mike Li, whose military credentials were questioned by veterans and medals experts in a recent Stuff investigation.

The Teaching Council says “the concerns raised in your reporting and in the video you have provided are of significant concern” and it’s looking into both issues.

New Plymouth Boys’ High School’s headmaster has confirmed the slug gun was the school’s property “used during science lessons to demonstrate the ballistic pendulum”, and “the way it was used in the video showed a serious lapse of judgement, and this was addressed at the time”.

The teaching watchdog says it is “urgently gathering and assessing information” after Stuff sent it a video of a school teacher pointing a slug gun in a classroom and warning students not to be late “otherwise bad stuff happens”.

The teacher featured in the footage is Marlborough Boys’ College physics teacher Mike Li - the man whose military credentials were questioned by veterans and medals experts in a recent Stuff investigation.

The Teaching Council said in a statement on Friday “the concerns raised in your reporting and in the video you have provided are of significant concern” and because of the “high level of public interest” it could confirm it was looking into “both the issues highlighted in the Stuff article and the incident shown in the video”.

“This includes considering the matters through the Council’s statutory processes.

“Teaching is a trusted public role. Questions about honesty, integrity, judgement, child safety, and whether conduct may bring the teaching profession into disrepute, can be relevant to a teacher’s fitness to teach.”

Li, who uses the honorific Commander and drives a Bentley with a personalised CDR LI number plate, has worn a MBE, Military Medal and Mention in Dispatches, a Royal Marines beret, submariners’ badges, and one veteran claimed Li had told him he had commanded a nuclear submarine.

However, his entitlement to some of the medals have been questioned by military veterans and medal experts, including Ian Martyn, who did extensive research into the medals Li wore.

“If all this is true, he’s probably one of the greatest modern-day [war heroes],” Martyn told Stuff during our investigation.

The Snapchat video is understood to date from 2023, when Li was teaching at New Plymouth Boys’ High (NPBHS) school.

It’s unclear how broadly it was circulated at the time, but since publication of Stuff’s investigation it has been shared with us by several people.

A former NPBHS student recognised the classroom as Li’s, identified him in the video and said that he recalled being present at an incident in which Li raised what he believed was an imitation rifle during class.

“I am almost 100% certain I was present on that day [of the video] … although I suppose it’s possible that the time he held up the weapon was not unique to my class.”

In a statement on Saturday, NPBHS headmaster Sam Moore said the school was “aware of concerns regarding Mr Li’s military service while he was employed at the school. We are also aware of a video that has been circulating. Both concerns were taken seriously and addressed directly at the time”.

“As Mr Li is no longer employed by the school, and because this involves personal, employment and wellbeing considerations, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further on individual details.

Contact the reporter: steve.kilgallon@stuffdigital.co.nz

“We can confirm the device Mr Li was holding in the video was school property. It was the school’s slug gun, used during science lessons to demonstrate the ballistic pendulum. The way it was used in the video showed a serious lapse of judgement, and this was addressed at the time.”

Moore’s statement did not say how the matter was addressed, or if the Teaching Council was notified.

Since Stuff reported concerns about Li’s military credentials, at least one Marlborough parent has lodged a complaint with the Teaching Council and called for his dismissal, while two current Marlborough Boys’ senior students told Stuff they also believed he should not be teaching, based on the claims that our investigation had brought to light.

“If what he’s done is true, it’s pretty disgraceful taking all that credit,” said one. “After the article, everyone is talking about it and a few people have said things to him.”

One concerned parent told Stuff they had received no communications from Marlborough Boys’ College about Li.

“The school has not said or done anything about this issue. The teacher is still attending school. The kids have not been briefed. The parents have not been briefed. My belief is that he should be suspended pending the outcome of an investigation. If found to be dishonest then he should be dismissed immediately. It’s a real shame as he is otherwise a good teacher and my boy used to respect and look up to him.”

Stuff put questions to the Marlborough Boys’ College board via board member Tim Burfoot but had not had a reply by deadline.

Previously, before publication of Stuff’s investigation, the school’s principal Jared Dunn said he’d not received any complaints about Li or his military service.

“As far as I am concerned, he’s here as a teacher of science and physics. I haven’t had time to look into [his past],” he said. “I know there’s been stories and people have asked questions but I’ll take it at face value.”

Education Minister Erica Stanford’s office referred Stuff to the Teaching Council.

Stuff emailed questions to Li but he did not respond before deadline.