A Hamilton teacher censured by the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal for inappropriate remarks and conduct has resigned from his position at Rototuna Junior High School. Shannan McPeak’s resignation was confirmed by Rototuna principal Mel Moore, who stated that McPeak stepped down for personal reasons and acknowledged his contributions during his tenure.

The disciplinary action stemmed from a series of incidents at Rototuna Junior High School in 2022. In one case, McPeak told a student, after she screamed when startled during a workshop, “you only scream like that when you’re getting raped.” The tribunal described the comment as “highly inappropriate and sexualised,” noting its harmful impact on the student’s well-being. The student reportedly continued to avoid classes when McPeak was present several months after the incident. On another occasion that year, McPeak made a comment to students joking about physical contact, which one student described as “creepy.”

Following the public release of the tribunal’s decision in April 2025, additional allegations surfaced regarding McPeak’s conduct during an earlier teaching position at Fairfield Intermediate School. Parents of students from a 2017 school trip to China raised concerns about McPeak’s behavior, which they stated had not been adequately addressed by the school at the time.

Among the complaints were claims that McPeak required female students to leave hotel room doors open, touched a student inappropriately, and exhibited other unsettling behavior during the trip. One former student described feeling traumatized by the actions, including McPeak reportedly “bouncing” on her in a manner one student described as “humping.” The student’s family submitted complaints to the Fairfield Intermediate Board of Trustees detailing what they termed “inappropriate sexual behaviours.” The student’s grandfather criticized the school’s handling, asserting that the response involved denial and minimization of the concerns raised.

Fairfield Intermediate principal Angela Walters confirmed the school was aware of a complaint and said it was addressed by the previous principal. McPeak resigned from Fairfield Intermediate in January 2020.

Rototuna Junior High School and its board, led by presiding member Heemi McDonald, said they had no knowledge of any prior concerns regarding McPeak when he was hired. The board indicated that standard recruitment checks with previous employers had not revealed any issues related to his work with young people.

Repeated attempts to contact McPeak for comment were unsuccessful.