Suspended Bishops’ High School teacher, Coen Jackson was on Saturday questioned by police at the Brickdam Police Station on allegations of sexual assault, sexual grooming and rape and was released on $100,000 station bail, police yesterday said.
“Suspect Coen Jackson, age 32 years., a school teacher of Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge was arrested on 2017-12-02 for sexual grooming, sexual assault, and rape committed on Cristal Smith at D’Urban Street, Lodge between December 2010 and May 2011 while Cristal was a student at Bishops’ High school,” a police officer yesterday told Stabroek News.
Smith was present at the station at the time Jackson was brought in and questioned and was accompanied by her current partner, Cultural Policy Advisor, Ruel Johnson.
Jackson, the police officer said, when told of the allegations and charges said that it was not true.
He was placed on $100,000 bail and his passport was lodged at the Brickdam Police Station as was instructed by the Commander.
Jackson, an Economics teacher, has been accused of preying on his students and grooming them in preparation for a sexual relationship.
It was claimed by Jackson that the allegations, which were first made against him by Johnson, were rooted in personal grievances between the two, including a past relationship he shared with Johnson’s partner.
Smith broke her silence through a Facebook post last week Sunday saying that she now believes that she was preyed upon by Jackson.
She signaled that her relationship with Jackson began while she was still in school, contrary to his claim that he has only been involved with two former students of the school, and only after they left the institution.
Smith’s statement is the first public statement made by a student or former student professing to have actually been involved with Jackson. However, several persons have made claims via social media that he would make use of sexual innuendos during his lessons, and one person alleged that he attempted to solicit sexual favours from her in exchange for assistance in a class.
The allegations against Jackson have created major controversy at Bishops’ which saw the Ministry of Education reprimanding the headmistress over her berating of students. She was required to make an apology to students.
The allegations have also ignited a firestorm on social media about sexual harassment and related matters.
