A Christchurch high school teacher who discussed sexual acts, drug use and his students on a podcast has been found guilty of misconduct.
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Samuel Stokes was a teacher at Christchurch's Hornby High when he took part in his friend's show, Cancelcast, in November 2019.
In the episode, Stokes named students, ridiculed their work, and said he had taught while still high on drugs.
He also made derogatory comments about an ex-girlfriend, described threesomes, and discussed a former colleague's inappropriate relationship with a student.
Conor Fenelon, the creator and host of the podcast, initially agreed to keep Stokes anonymous and said he could check the content before it was published.
But Fenelon published the episode without letting him check it.
The 98-minute episode was available for public streaming on sites including Spotify and Apple Podcasts for several weeks before it was taken down.
Two members of the public complained to Hornby High about the podcast, which prompted Principal Robin Sutton to write a report to the Teaching Council.
The New Zealand Teacher's Disciplinary Tribunal said it had no difficulty concluding the behaviour was serious misconduct.
"The basis for Mr Stokes' participation in the podcast was his profession and his role as a teacher was the subject of a significant amount of discussion. The Tribunal agreed...that by his conduct Mr Stokes displayed a serious lack of judgement when he agreed to participate," the hearing report stated.
The Tribunal believed Stokes knew his conduct was unacceptable when he said during the podcast: "Teaching Council, if you're listening to this, please don't revoke my licence."
He told the Tribunal peer pressure was a factor in his participation and all comments made about drug use were made up, as he has never engaged in recreational drug use.
"Stokes made a colossal mistake in participating in the podcast. Having to listen again to what he has said on the podcast and the way he has spoken is embarrassing and he is ashamed. He expressed his extreme remorse," the report stated.
The Tribunal fined Stokes $4708 and ordered him to write a reflective statement, undertake mentoring and disclose the case to all employers for the next two years.
He currently works as a social science and commerce teacher at Rolleston High School.
