Johannesburg - A Hyde Park High School teacher was suspended for allegedly sending a 16-year-old pupil a naked picture of himself, EyeWitness news reported on Monday.
According to the report, the teacher is out on bail after the mother laid criminal charges against him.
The Gauteng education department said an independent investigation has been launched into how the school and the district office handled the case.
“The teacher is suspended and we have put in place an independent investigation that will cover all circumstances regarding this case,” spokesman Gershwin Chuenyane was quoted as saying.
“The department will be guided by the outcome of the investigation on what action to take.”
According to the report, on July 30 the teacher engaged in a late-night WhatsApp chat with the boy's mother thinking it was him. The teacher allegedly sent numerous sexual images and made sexual suggestions.
She saw an image of a man sitting naked in a bathtub holding his genitals, pop up on the screen of her son's cellphone, it was reported.
Her identity and her son's have been withheld to protect her son's identity.
The mother went to the national education department. She said it took over a week for the teacher to be suspended and then she laid a criminal charge. - Sapa