A veteran science teacher is out of a job after asking students a series of disturbing questions, including: ‘How long would you wait to have sex with a dead girl?’
Jason Robert Morgan is no longer employed by Chanel College in Gladstone, central Queensland, after the school discovered earlier this month that he was censured over the highly inappropriate comments in New Zealand.
The comments were made when Morgan was a science teacher and boarding house assistant at a New Zealand school in March and April 2023, according to a decision by the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal.
Boarders were asked sexual questions during ‘thought of the day’ discussions, which were supposed to be calming conversations to settle students before bedtime.
Questions included, ‘Would you have regular sex with a seven out of 10 or have a one-night stand with a nine out of 10?’, ‘Would you sleep with an absolute 10 out of 10 if she was crazy as?’, and ‘How long would you have sex with a three?’
According to the tribunal, Morgan apologised to one student after he said, ‘I’ll cum on your mum’s back’ in front of his classmates.
In another instance, Morgan was speaking to students about hunting when the conversation turned to bestiality: ‘Be careful, you Gissy boys don’t f*** them [goats]’.
An investigation was launched when two Year 10 students reported the comments to the boarding school director in April 2023.
Jason Robert Morgan (pictured) was fired after school bosses discovered he had asked students a series of disturbing questions
Morgan voluntarily resigned following the investigation, accepted that he had brought the teaching profession into disrepute, and moved to Australia to start afresh.
He was working at St Patrick’s College in northern Brisbane when the New Zealand tribunal handed down its decision, before later joining Chanel College.
Chanel College and the Catholic Education Diocese of Rockhampton (CEDR) suspended him on March 11 and contacted the Queensland College of Teachers when they became aware of the inappropriate comments.
According to the published decision, Morgan provided evidence to prove he had been upfront about his behaviour with the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT).
The QCT told the Daily Mail it could not comment on ‘individual’s teacher registration or matters of professional conduct’.
Morgan appeared at the hearing in 2023 by video to outline his circumstances at the time the comments were made, and steps he had taken to understand why he behaved that way.
He acknowledged his ‘destructive’ personal traits that led to the misconduct, and felt that he could now identify triggers for that type of behaviour.
As an example of his growth, he told the tribunal how he had once needed to contact a student and used his personal mobile phone to call the student’s home phone.
Jason Morgan (pictured) told a tribunal he had reflected on his behaviour and was working to ensure it wouldn’t happen again
He then realised he should have maintained appropriate boundaries by using online messaging app Teams rather than his personal mobile phone.
Morgan also said he had been going out walking and reflecting on what happened, telling the tribunal he had lost a ‘significant amount of weight’ and he had changed as a person.
‘He noted that teachers in Australia undertake regular behavioural training and he felt that has been beneficial for him,’ the tribunal decision read.
‘It had assisted him to understand and modify his behaviour.
‘He said he thought in the past he was being helpful but realises now that his behaviour was doing the opposite.’
It found Morgan was genuinely sorry for his behaviour and was committed to making positive changes in his life, but it also found his behaviour adversely reflected on his fitness to teach.
The tribunal was particularly troubled by the comments because they were repeated, rather than spur of the moment, and found his behaviour constituted as serious misconduct.
He was censured, which was the only realistic penalty because he was teaching in Queensland. Morgan was also ordered to pay 40 per cent of complaints assessment committee costs, amounting to $1,496.
Morgan is no longer employed by Chanel College in Gladstone (pictured) after he was stood down earlier this month after school chiefs found out about his previous misconduct
A spokesperson for CEDR told the Courier Mail that Chanel College and diocese were not aware of the information contained in the tribunal decision prior to his employment.
‘CEDR confirms that Mr Morgan is no longer an employee of Chanel College, Gladstone or Catholic Education, Diocese of Rockhampton,’ the spokesperson said.
‘At the time of his employment, Mr Morgan held current registration with the Queensland College of Teachers, the statutory authority responsible for regulating the teaching profession in Queensland.
‘Chanel College, Gladstone and Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton reaffirm that the safety and protection of students is their highest priority.’
Chanel College has been contacted for comment.
Morgan is still registered as a teacher with Queensland College of Teachers, according to their website, with his registration due to expire on February 28, 2029.
