A school principal paid the family of a former student in a secret deal to ensure their silence over an allegation he propositioned the girl.
Kawerau College principal Steve Hocking also confessed to the Herald on Sunday he had turned to drugs after falling into a "dark hole".
Although school management were told of his cannabis use and the secret payment, the board of trustees did not pass on the information to three teams of inspectors from the Education Review Office.
Hocking, who turns 47 today, said professional education investigators were collecting evidence for an inquiry into his time at the school in the Bay of Plenty paper milling town.
But he is vowing to fight for his job - and told the Herald on Sunday he would not "fall on my sword".
"I'm a normal red-blooded male who has done things that I've regretted over the years. I've made mistakes, just the same as everybody else."
After speaking with numerous school sources, parents of previous students and residents, the Herald on Sunday can also reveal:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10554531&ref=rssPRICK should be on the dole by now