Teacher denies ‘sex for grade’ allegations

A primary school teacher has denied allegations of ‘sex for grade levelled against him on social media Facebook post, describing the allegations as misleading and intended to lower his reputation.

Papa Layne Surr said his photo was published by Gambian Eye on the 21st day 0f April 2020 accusing him of ‘exchanging marks for sex.’

He provided a copied post of the allegation which read as follows “He is Papa Layne Surr an agricultural science teacher who exchange marks for sex to his students he is good for nothing in education sector but destroying our Gambian students.”

Mr Surr said “I have never taught as an agricultural science teacher. I hold a Primary Teachers’ Certificate from the Gambia College. I teach at the lower basic schools and we don’t have agricultural science as a subject at this level. Their intention was to frame me but they got everything wrong.”

He explained how the allegation against him came about as he said: “The Gambian Eye said that an ethnic group is the problems of the country and I commented saying every tribe has both good and bad people. I indicated that I don’t belong to that ethnicity but it was wrong to caricature a whole ethnic group. After my comment, he (the Gambian Eye) came up with the allegation against me.”