St John’s principal suspended over pandemic-year fee waivers

Two days after the Karnataka Central Diocese suspended the principal of St John’s High School, sources close to the development said she had been removed over fee concessions she had sanctioned.

The diocese, affiliated to the Church of South India, is learnt to have taken the decision on the basis of allegations that principal N Shantha Susheela had accepted bribes from students’ parents to waive fees for the last academic year.

A source close to the suspended principal said she had given the waivers on humanitarian grounds.

“Some parents had cited their poor post-Covid financial situation and requested waivers. The concessions were made in 2021 on the fees for 2020, a year when children could not attend school because of the lockdowns,” the source told DH on Friday.

The executive committee of the diocese on Monday suspended Shantha and S Edwin Christopher, principal of Bishop Cotton Boys’ School, without formally communicating the charges to them.

Rev Prasanna Kumar Samuel, bishop of the diocese, in a letter dated July 13 to Shantha, said the committee had taken note of “serious allegations” and was initiating an inquiry.

She was directed to hand over her responsibilities to vice-principal Vanaja Rajathi.

DH reported the suspensions in an exclusive on Thursday.

A diocesan member said the proceedings against Christopher were not in line with the principles of natural justice as he was not given a fair hearing.

Another member of the church said there was disillusionment among the members regarding the developments but they were stopping short of an open call for transparency and corrective measures.

“It is unfortunate that instead of leading by example, we are letting ourselves down,” the member said, requesting anonymity.