Don't lend your iPad: 'One bad trick and your career is infected'
An erotic site on his tablet led a math teacher into an endless nightmare. The teacher wants to warn colleagues with his story.
Picture: Nina Maissouradze
Excited students cycle past. You can hear it clearly in the office of Hans de Vries (67) *. His house is a stone's throw from the comprehensive school where it all went wrong two years ago. The laughter wrinkles, tanned skin and clear gaze betray nothing of the nightmare that De Vries ended up in at the time. “I'm doing well”, agrees the math teacher who now teaches elsewhere. “I want to tell this story to close the issue, but also to warn other teachers about their vulnerable position. One bad trick from a student and your career is infected. ”
His lesson on January 14, 2016 started with a girl asking if she could borrow his iPad. De Vries does not think that is a problem. “There is always someone who has forgotten their iPad, so I lent mine. I have been doing this in good faith for five years. ” The lesson is as usual, although in retrospect he might have heard some buzz in that right corner. He only thought about it when he was accosted by a boy after class: 'What a beautiful site you have on it! If I were you I would clear Safari history. ' At home he took a good look at the iPad and came across the erotic dating site Instabang. “Gosh, I thought and I figured out how I could erase history. I just wanted the iPad to be clean again in case I had to borrow it again. ”
He was aware of no harm. He always uses the Google Chrome browser himself, and never the Safari that the students use, so he hadn't had that much insight into it. “Students often do things on ipads that are not allowed, such as games, or worse things like viewing porn sites. So I saw no reason to report it to the board. ”
Criminal
Nothing happened for a month, until his team leader called him to the mat. The girl who borrowed his iPad turned out to have a photo of his iPad with the chat window open. The school management thought that there was an undesirable pedagogical situation and blamed De Vries for not reporting the incident. “If you haven't done it, we'll start an investigation,” said my team leader. Afterwards stupid, but then I said: 'You know what, just blame me, then we can continue and my exam students do not have to miss classes'.
Of course I didn't create that account, I told him that too. I also expressed my suspicion that a student was pranking me and that other students should not suffer from something so small. It concerns a few obscene texts, nudes were not visible. I honestly thought I was only going to get a sermon or a rebuke, but then they said, Okay, then it's done and we'll suspend you. ”
I honestly thought I was only going to get a sermon or a reprimand, but then they said, "Okay, then it's done and we'll suspend you."
He then withdrew his statement, his lawyer switched from the AOb in and an independent investigation followed, partly at the insistence of De Vries. Until the result, he was suspended as an order measure, contact with the school was prohibited. “I felt like a criminal. They put the investigation on hold for months and it was terrible to be home. The worst part is that rumors were buzzing through the province. It cost my wife and me a lot of sleepless nights, it felt so unfair. ”
While the investigation was still ongoing, De Vries reached retirement age. Continuing to work, which he would have liked, was not possible anyway due to a declining number of students at his school. He did not receive a decent farewell to all his colleagues. According to the school, because the case has been unnecessarily legalized, so the investigation took longer than desired. "When you only talk through lawyers, you are not going to have a party," said the rector.
De Vries: “I was not fired, but it feels like I left through the back door. Fortunately, I did receive a lot of support from colleagues, especially from my section. He organized a five-course farewell dinner himself, which was very nice. ”
I didn't get fired, but it feels like I left through the back door
Not an offender
Ultimately, it turns out that the account for Instabang was not created from an IP address that can be traced back to De Vries. His iPad has been turned inside out, without finding anything special. However, the IP address cannot be traced back to the school and three of the four students involved. The IP address of the fourth student was never known. “And that is precisely the boy who, in my opinion, qualifies as a suspect. I had a bad relationship with him. ”
(Image: Nina Maissouradze)
The investigation therefore did not reveal any perpetrator. Finding out the owner of the IP address via the police was not an option: there is no criminal offense. De Vries hoped that parents and colleagues would at least be informed about the results of the study, but that did not happen. “The school wanted to keep things small, but for whom? Most of the time you do that to avoid harming someone, but I actually benefit when this gets out. If you let someone sit at home for five months, then you are also obliged to close it big by disclosing the research results and apologizing generously. How is it possible that you let me be a suspect, while the details of a student are unknown? ”
According to the school, De Vries is suspicious because he erased the traces and it cannot be ruled out that he is the perpetrator, after all, he could also have created the account at McDonalds, for example. De Vries, combative: “But that you would first make an effort to secretly create an account outside the home and then open it on the ipad at school, isn't it very illogical? Moreover, the account existed for exactly three days: it was just a deliberate action to damage me."
It was just a deliberate action to damage me
According to him, the school is keeping the investigation secret for fear. He is strengthened in this because the school has had passages deleted from the concept, for example those in which other teachers confirm that students sometimes also play games and visit porn sites on the iPad during their lessons. "It is a Christian school and they are terrified of the image."
The school denies this. The passages have been deleted because they are not relevant according to the rector. According to him, reparation by disclosing the results is not an issue because De Vries was never accused of anything and the investigation is therefore inconclusive.
Damaged
Meanwhile, the math teacher's name has been damaged. “My youngest was approached a year later by another student: 'You are the son of that teacher who was fired because of porn.' Very sorry, I was not fired at all! I feel a responsibility towards my children to put things right. ”
His attempt to compel the school to disclose the conclusions of the investigation in summary proceedings failed last spring. Too much time had passed, so that the matter was no longer urgent. He eventually decided to email his colleagues and seek publicity. “It gives me a lot of positive reactions, especially along the lines of 'I have been through something similar' and 'how brave that you dare to tell this story'. This has achieved my goal: to counterbalance the negative image. ”
He puts the papers back in the linen bag that has not come from the corner of his room since the preliminary relief proceedings. His wife and children are fed up, which is why he has promised to remain anonymous. “It would only stir up dust. I want to tell this story one more time to show how easy it is for students to kick you. Make sure the school protects you with good filters and never loan your iPad, ”he says of the lesson he has learned.
I want to tell this story one more time to show how easy it is for students to make fun of you. Make sure the school protects you by means of good filters and never lend your iPad
The school sees the story as a sad story with nothing but losers. However, the rector says he fully supports the approach of that time. "We acted as carefully as possible and said goodbye with dignity, for example by giving him a positive reference." According to the school, there are 'loan ipads' available for students who have forgotten their ipad to use. Employees who lend their iPad are responsible for the consequences. Moreover, if De Vries had reported the situation immediately and had not erased the traces, it would not have been as bad as it is now.
Beautiful ornamental
AOblawyer Frans Lathouwers calls this a hypocritical reaction that shows little insight into his own actions. “The school wants to make a nice impression with modern iPad education, but then does not think carefully about the consequences by immediately installing adequate filters. When things go wrong, it's the teacher's fault. De Vries may have made an incorrect estimate by not reporting the incident, but there was no reason to do so at the time, because pupils and parents were not upset or shocked. In addition, if I found a gross account on my computer, I would also delete it immediately, which seems logical. I find it very bad that after such a long and excellent employment relationship, De Vries apparently has no credit whatsoever. ”
De Vries is now working again with great pleasure at another school. “I live for education,” he explains in his room full of piles of tests, educational magazines and books. “The last exam training sessions were packed and the results are again around 7 average this year. Unsure of passing, one student asked, "Sir, are you here next year too?" Those kinds of signals do me good and as far as I am concerned I will continue until I am 70 years old. That way, after fifty years of education, I still have a good feeling about it. ”
Hans de Vries does not want his real name in the Education Magazine. His wife and children are fed up with the painful history; he promised them to remain anonymous. For this reason, the headmaster of the school is also mentioned anonymously in this article.
Falsely accused and then?
Five tips from AOblawyer Frans Lathouwers:
- Hear what the complaint and solution are, but don't make a decision.
- Seek legal help immediately. Because of you membership of the AOb you are automatically entitled to this.
- If you get suspended, which is almost standard procedure, don't go to school as if nothing was wrong. This further jeopardizes the fragile relationship with the employer.
- Never contact the person who accused you: student or parents. It seems logical to do so, since there is a misunderstanding, but the official accusation has already made a statement. Getting in touch only makes matters worse.
- Don't talk to colleagues either. You have a formal legal relationship with your employer. If he wants to be angry, he can say that you have popped out of school. If it comes to that, the case will not do any good to the court.
