Teacher dismissed over grooming charges; nude photos recovered from children

The Employment Tribunal of Maldives has upheld the dismissal of a local male teacher accused of sending inappropriate images and videos to, and grooming, male students under the age of 18 at a school in the northern region of the country.

The teacher, from the south of the country, had nearly 29 years of service before being fired in September of last year. He subsequently filed a complaint with the Employment Tribunal, seeking a declaration that his dismissal was illegal.

In the lawsuit against the Civil Service Commission (CSC), he sought reinstatement and MVR 35,000 in lawyer's fees.

However, the tribunal ruled against him. According to the case report, the teacher sent nude photos to his students via Facebook Messenger and on several occasions paid students to obtain nude photos and videos of them.

The case report also indicates that the male teacher attempted to obstruct the investigation. Police, armed with a court order to obtain his phone's lock code, encountered a lack of cooperation and harassment from the teacher.

The teacher has been dismissed from his position, and criminal charges are pending. He was reportedly detained at one point during the investigation.