Samantha’s college draws a blank

Institute says she had not attended classes since December last year. But officials did not inform her parents, because the college ‘did not want to disturb them’. Principal says the history professor accused of sexual misconduct by Samantha has been with the college for nine years without a single blot on his service.

Two days after 17-year-old Samantha Raj committed suicide, her college, St Anne’s PUC College, was busy defending itself against a barrage of intriguing questions. The school claims that Samantha had not attended school for over six months. There was no convincing reply to why it had not informed her parents about her absenteeism.

Samantha had, in her suicide note, accused her history teacher of sexually harassing her. The police said they could proceed with the case only after questioning Samantha’s parents, who were not home.

“She stopped coming to college since last December,” principal Sister Annette said. She showed records of the deceased student. “After the mid-term exams that were conducted sometime in November, Samantha was irregular to college,” she said pointing to the marking against Samantha’s name in the attendance
register.

If that was the case, why hadn’t the school informed the parents that Samantha was not attending school? “We didn’t want to disturb them,” the principal said. The mother had come to the college after the mid-term exam. She was told that Samantha was irregular to school, Sister Annette said.

Her long absence did not raise an alarm in the school. “A few students had dropped out around that time for various personal reasons. We thought same was the case with Samantha,” the principal said.

On Wednesday, she said, “Samantha and her mother had come to the college for admission to II PUC. However, the sister at the counter did not have her name on the list of students promoted to II PUC.”

The principal then showed Samantha’s hall ticket. “The girl had not collected her hall card, which means she had not attended her exams. When this was pointed out to the student, she told the staff that she would bring her hall ticket.”

The hall ticket had the subject and date of exams, Sister Annette pointed out. “The invigilating teacher signs the hall ticket, which is then proof that the student had attended the exam.” Samantha’s hall ticket did have the invigilator’s signature, she said. “Way back in November, we had told her to be regular in college or else she won’t get her hall ticket.” Sister Annette then produced Samantha’s marks card. “She has been marked absent. Being absent is equivalent to failing.”

She said that the history professor, whom Samantha accused of harassment, had been with the institution for nine years. “There has never been any complaint from any student against him so far,” she said.