7 News Belize

Willacey Suspended, Minister Confirms
posted (August 23, 2012)
But it wasn't all daggers drawn at today's House Meeting - there was some collegiality between members.

And responding to an issue raised by the PUP Member for Belize Rural Central, the Minister of Education turned to a subject of great public interest: Principal Norman Willacey of the Belmopan Baptist High School.

The school's Board Of Management has not issued any statement confirming that he is suspended - but the Minister did confirm it today:...

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"In fact Mr. Speaker I am happy to report that our partners in the Baptist management have complied and in fact indicated according to the rules that they have suspended Pastor Willacy as principal of Belmopan Baptist high school. He will be suspended for 15 days pending an investigation. I don't think that anybody can expect that the management or anybody who has a stake here who has a role to play in terms of investigating and determining what has happen at that school can be expected to give a verdict of guilty without giving the individual due process and so I asked Belizeans and I asked the community here in Belmopan to be patient as that process goes through but to know that come the opening of school tomorrow that pastor Willacy will certainly not be in the role of the principal of Belmopan Baptist."

"There have been many incidences where the church or the managements of these schools have allowed these persons to resign and while it is not my place in this occasion to say to the Baptist management how they should deal with that issue - I have to be careful. I would hope that because it is now public knowledge Mr. Speaker and it would seem that pastor Willacy has indeed admitted to this offence - that a resignation would not be tolerated. It is important for us to mark and label people who have been found guilty of these offences Mr. Speaker so that they cannot resign from one institution and then pop up years down the road in another school."

And that's not the end of it. This afternoon, the Belize Association of Principals of Secondary Schools issued a statement saying it is quote, "appalled at the conduct of one of its members and expresses through this medium its condemnation of the inappropriate relationship which reportedly developed between the Principal of Belmopan Baptist High School and one of his female students."

The statement adds, quote, "We appeal to any school management to recommend to the Teaching Services Commission the forthwith dismissal from the teaching profession of any teacher or principal whose action proves to be, as in this case, immoral toward any student in their care." End quote.

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