An adult charged with looking after pupils in the hostel at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls has been "removed from the campus" following a "serious claim of misconduct".
No details have been made known, nor is it clear when the offence took place.
The gender of the accused house parent was not disclosed.
The school, a boarding establishment for disadvantaged girls, was opened at Henley on Klip, south of Joburg, by Winfrey in January.
| 'I will do everything within my power to ensure their safety' |
Already the incident has led to the head of the academy taking a leave of absence and the school engaging investigators from the US, drawing comment from Winfrey herself.
"Nothing is more serious or devastating to me than an allegation of misconduct by an adult against any girl at the academy.
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"I will do everything within my power to ensure their safety and wellbeing," Winfrey said in a statement.
On Thursday, academy CEO John Samuel said
"Upon receiving this information, we removed the person in question from the campus, notified the Child Protection Services and took immediate action to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the academy's learners," he said.
"We have engaged professional investigators of the highest standing from South Africa and the US to conduct a fair and impartial inquiry into these claims.
"The inquiry is being conducted in a manner that supports the safe and nurturing environment of the academy, with minimal disruption to campus life," said Samuel, adding that the academy was providing psychological support and counselling services to the learners.
To ensure an impartial investigation, it had been mutually agreed that the head of the academy take a paid leave of absence.
Samuel made it clear that the woman was not the subject of the allegations of misconduct.
"Out of respect for all of our learners, privacy and confidentiality remain paramount. Therefore, we will not disclose any personal information or details of the allegation."
Gauteng police spokesperson Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini confirmed that the police had been informed of the allegations, but detectives were not investigating "at this stage".
"The school is currently involved in an internal inquiry. No docket has been opened."
The Oprah Winfrey Academy said no further information would be released until the investigation was completed.
- This article was originally published on page 3 of The Star on October 19, 2007
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