A spate of sexual misconduct charges is rocking Chennai’s schools

A sudden outpouring of sexual misconduct complaints against teachers has tarnished the once stellar reputation of Chennai’s schools, but it might be the beginning of a new culture of openness

Saranya’s* sports coach had a stellar reputation. He was an important, well-respected figure at her school in Chennai. But when she was in Class VIII, travelling in a train with her team for a national tournament, the man assaulted her. “It was around 2 a.m. and I was trying to sleep. That was when my coach groped me. He kept touching me until he heard a noise and stopped.” The incident filled Saranya with shock. “For the rest of the tournament, he behaved like nothing had happened; he even asked me why I was being aloof,” she says. The coach harassed her for years, until she left school. He would find her alone, intimidate her, attempt to touch her. Saranya told her friends, but felt she could not complain. “He was so sly and conniving that nobody else realised it was abuse,” says the now 29-year-old. She was afraid the school would not believe her.