A school vice principal in China has sparked public outrage after her extramarital affair with an former pupil 10 years her junior was exposed online. - Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo
BEIJING: Controversy has erupted over a school vice principal in China who has been accused of having an extramarital affair with one of her former male students.
The reported relationship between the teacher and her former student, who is more than 10 years her junior, came to light after the latter sought the return of what he claims is 700,000 yuan (US$96,000) in money and gifts she solicited from him during their five years together.
The financial claim led to a report being made to the educational authorities about her conduct, sparking a public outcry.
In a video posted online, a man surnamed He, accused Xie Jiaxiong, his former vice principal from Ningxiang, Hunan province, in central China, of having an extramarital affair with him.
According to He, Xie was also at one point his secondary school teacher.
At that time, He was attracted to Xie and she responded by complimenting his looks.
The relationship reportedly began after He graduated and had achieved professional success, leading Xie to pursue him despite being married.
The affair is thought to have lasted almost five years, during which the two engaged in sexual activities at hotels, in cars, and at residences.
Chat records shared by He revealed that Xie affectionately called him “Daddy” and would also use the terms “Love Daddy” and “Love Husband” in connection with him.
She also frequently expressed her love for him, saying: “I will not let my husband touch me because my heart is yours.”
She even expressed the desire to have a child with him.
According to He, during their relationship, Xie solicited money and gifts from him to the value of approximately 700,000 yuan.
However, when He faced financial difficulties and requested repayment, she reportedly refused and reportedly filed a false sexual assault claim against him.
In response, He decided to expose their relationship by filing a formal complaint to the local education bureau.
At the time of writing, Xie has not responded to the allegations.
As controversy raged, the Ningxiang education bureau issued a statement on December 23, saying that Xie had been removed from her position and reassigned.
“After investigation, it was found that Xie violated professional ethics. The party committee has decided to dismiss her from her position, issue a serious warning within the party, and reassign her to a different work unit.
“We maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward misconduct in the education sector and will use this case as a warning to strengthen professional ethics among teachers. We appreciate the public’s concern,” the statement said.
The incident sparked heated discussions online, with many criticising Xie and the leniency of her punishment.
One person said: “As an educator, how could she behave like this? Can she truly focus on running a school?”
“Just dismissing her is too light a punishment,” said another online observer.
Some people, however, criticised He and questioned his motives for filing the report.
“If money had not been involved, they would still be together. Stop pretending to be a victim,” said one person. - South China Morning Post
