Waikato teacher accused of misconduct with young girls cites ‘big kid energy’
Wednesday, 22 July 2026
A Waikato teacher battling allegations of serious misconduct - including claims of inappropriate touching - has “big kid energy” and used social media for “connection” with a student, but he strenuously denied claims of inappropriate touching.
On the second day of the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal in Hamilton, the teacher at the centre of the allegations appeared in person to face questions.
The Waikato Times is unable to name the teacher, or the two Waikato schools he taught at, due to legal suppressions.
It is alleged he used inappropriate social media messaging, including the use of love heart emojis, and engaged in inappropriate touching in the form of hugs, back rubs and touching a girl’s bottom.
The teacher, supported at the hearing by family members, was questioned by Complaints Assessment Committee lawyer Dennis Dow.
Asked whether he would agree it was inappropriate to touch students he said it would “definitely” be inappropriate.
“That’s inappropriate and I deny all allegations of physical touching,“ he said.
“I’m a family man… senior [sports figure], and definitely deny all allegations of touching. That would put all my responsibilities in jeopardy,” he said.
“I’ve got a big kid energy and I’m quite loud, people hear me before they see me… I know the physical boundaries, those are the responsibilities to boys and girls.”
Asked directly whether the complainant was “making this all up”, he said “agreed”.
Under questioning from Tribunal member Ross Brown and asked why he used social media, and the sending of love heart emojis to students, he said he admitted that was “a mistake I’m highly remorseful of”.
When pressed why he sought to communicate with the student, aged 12 at the time, he said “just a connection thing”.
“Wouldn’t have been any deeper from me. That’s all I can really say on that”.
He was also quizzed on allegations from another student that he messaged her via social media “asking to meet with her outside of school for a hot chocolate” and also sending love heart emojis.
“It wasn’t to do with taking someone out for a hot chocolate, I wouldn’t have done that,” he said.
Asked whether he would have taken a hot chocolate into school to give to the one student he said “yes”, but as a reward for her achieving an award.
He was also put on the spot about nicknaming a student “pretty girl”, by Tribunal chair Ian Murray.
“Pretty means attractive right?” said Murray.
The teacher agreed that was the case, but said the nickname was “a bit of cheeky banter”.
“Looking back on it now, I shouldn’t have said that,” he said.
He also acknowledged it could make a young girl aged 12 and approaching puberty feel “disappointed”.
“I thought it was just connection… getting them up to being a better person,” he said.
The teacher also conceded he had “crossed lines”.
“I want to continue making a difference in the world… I’ve got a huge heart, I’m an energy man and I’ve just got it a bit wrong”.
Murray also noted police had declined to press charges, and deemed the allegations “fall below the level of what police regard as an indecent assault”.
Dow also gave closing submissions to the Tribunal, saying they had to decide whether the now 15-year-old, or the teacher, was to be believed.
He said she gave a “compelling and detailed account”, and was also “consistent on core factual matters”.
Any inconsistencies could be written off as “not material, and contain genuine hallmarks of recollection, not fabrication”.
The teacher’s lawyer, Phillip Cornegé, also gave closing submissions describing the allegations as serious, and with “serious consequences”.
However, he also asked the panel if they had any “cogent evidence” of wrongdoing.
“There’s no evidence here,” he said.
“[The student] says that she had forgotten a lot of the detail about what happened and during the hearing she said she had a bad memory.”
He also noted there were no witnesses to any of the allegations, something he labelled “inherently implausible”.
The Panel has reserved its decision.