The Supreme Court of South Australia’s Full Court has ruled on a dispute between teaching graduate Dimosthenis Dillon Kourlas and the Teachers Registration Board of SA, which had denied his registration due to allegations of drug dealing in 2018.
Despite police dropping all charges, the Board argued it could assess an applicant’s past conduct, proven or otherwise, when determining their suitability to work with children.
The District Court had previously ruled in favour of Kourlas, criticising the Board for “cherrypicking” evidence.
However, the Full Court has now affirmed the Board’s right to conduct independent investigations, stating it is not bound by criminal proceedings.
At the same time, the court found the Board had failed to consider relevant factors, such as Kourlas’ denials and character references. It has ordered that his application be reconsidered by a new panel of officials.
Source: The Advertiser
