The Bishops Diocesan College in Cape Town, South Africa that charges about $16,000 per year has launched an investigation into allegations that one of its teachers had a sexual relationship with a student.
"Bishops is currently investigating allegations that there has been serious misconduct by one of its teachers. The teacher has resigned with immediate effect and the school is conducting a full investigation”, its principal Guy Pearson said in a statement.
Despite the school reportedly appointing an attorney to probe the matter, there is no criminal investigation underway as her alleged lover was 18 years old and not underage. According to the South African outlet Times Live, it is 30-year-old sports coach Fiona Viotti who left the school with immediate effect over the scandal.
Another South African outlet Weekend Argus reports that the matter came to light when the student in question turned to his parents, who later informed the headmaster, for help after the woman had refused to end their affair. According to its source, she even sent her young lover threatening messages via WhatsApp. Reports also alleged that she sent nude images and videos of her masturbating to students.
Her attorney William Booth has told the outlet that if some pupils had such materials, the question was “how you came (to be) in possession of the video or anybody got in possession of the video”. He also refuted claims that the former teacher has left the country amid these misconduct allegations.
Viotti, who was a water polo star when a teenager and even featured on Sports Illustrated as one of the "Beauties of Sport" ten years ago comes from a respected family of educators. Her father Dave Mallett is a history teacher and rugby team coach while her uncle Nick Mallett led the South Africa national rugby team, nicknamed the Springboks, in the 1990s. The ex-teacher, who reportedly married her long-time boyfriend last year, is said to have deleted her social media accounts. Neither the Viottis nor the boy’s parents have commented on the issue yet.