Thiruvananthapuram: A scandal allegedly set in motion by a school teacher has clouded the academic future of a 17-year-old girl and left her family shattered.

The management of an aided school in Kilimanoor has suspended the woman teacher after it became known that she allegedly spread rumours that a male teacher had sexually abused the student. Kilimanoor Police have also registered a case against her under non-bailable sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. 

The accused is said to have spread allegations of molestation due to a personal vendetta against the male teacher, who belongs to the opposite faction in an ongoing school property dispute case. The parents were forced to approach the police after video clips began to circulate in which the teacher alleged that the student was abused by the male teacher in the school. 

The girl, a Plus One student, faced isolation and mental trauma following rumours and stopped attending school. She still complains of frequent headaches and stays at home. “She used to talk about how students began avoiding her after the rumour spread. She stopped attending classes and her health deteriorated,” said her sister. When Onmanorama contacted her mother, she was in the hospital with her daughter, who has been suffering from ailments.

“For the past one year, she would return from school upset and anxious. All sorts of baseless rumours were circulating about her. Because of that, she stopped attending school and lost an entire academic year. Her health also declined due to the emotional distress, and she had to be hospitalised several times," the mother said. 

"Her teacher filed various complaints in different forums, spreading baseless allegations. We waited for a while before lodging our own complaint about a week ago. My daughter wants to continue her education, so we’ve applied for admission elsewhere. We’ll choose a different school that offers the course she’s interested in," she said. 

Her ordeal began when she stayed out of school for an extended period last year due to some ailment. A male teacher and a few other staff members visited the girl’s house to check on her. They even helped the family shift hospitals. Rumours were spread about the alleged abuse soon after the visit. According to the male teacher, the accused twisted the courteous house visit and fabricated a false narrative. 

“That teacher lied to the girl’s previous class teacher and collected her contact number under the pretext of offering financial help. Later, she called the family and offered money to accuse me of abuse falsely. But the girl’s parents came to the school the next day and filed a complaint,” he said. 

He also alleged that the accused has filed multiple complaints against him and other staff members over the past year. “In October 2024, she filed a case alleging that I slapped her in the staffroom a year ago,” he added. 

School principal Shyni V S confirmed receiving the parents’ complaint on May 28. “I forwarded it to the Education Department and the school manager,” she said.  

The woman teacher had previously filed another complaint, accusing the male teacher of mentally and physically abusing her. “That complaint was submitted to the school’s internal committee, but she did not cooperate with the process,” the principal added. 

The teacher, who now faces charges, has been working at the school for the past 26 years. The girl, who was unable to complete her academic year, now wishes to resume her education, but not in the same school.

Onmanorama tried contacting the accused teacher for a response, but the number was switched off. A police official with the Kilimanoor station said she has been charged under non-bailable sections, and the case has been handed over to Attingal DySP. According to police, the accused is absconding.