Sydney geography teacher charged with grooming and assaulting student at elite Newington College
Deandra Kontou, a former geography teacher at Newington College in Sydney, faces nine child abuse charges for allegedly grooming and sexually assaulting a student under 16 in 2017. The incidents occurred at the school and during a trip to Fitzroy Island. Kontou resigned in 2019, later taught at a public school, and was arrested last month. She has lost her teaching accreditation and is banned from working with children.
Key points
- Deandra Kontou, 32, is charged with nine offenses for conduct spanning six months in 2017 involving a student under 16.
- Alleged abuse occurred at Newington College's Stanmore building and during a senior boys' trip to Fitzroy Island, 1,200 miles from Sydney.
- Kontou resigned from Newington College in 2019 after allegations were reported to administrators.
- She was subsequently hired at Georges River College in 2024 before being arrested and granted bail last month.
- The New South Wales Department of Education stripped her teaching accreditation, and she is banned from teaching children.
Background
This case follows a pattern of educator misconduct reported in recent months, including a Southampton PE teacher trial and a Montgomery County teacher charged with child sexual abuse material offenses. Newington College, an elite private institution with tuition exceeding $33,000 annually, has faced scrutiny after another teacher, Benjamin David Collinge, was recently charged with grooming a 14-year-old girl online.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing concerns about safeguarding in elite private schools and the potential for delayed reporting of abuse. It underscores the importance of robust vetting processes for educators, especially given that the accused continued teaching at a public school after resigning from the private institution where the alleged abuse occurred.
What to watch
Kontou is scheduled to appear in Burwood Local Court next month. Her bail conditions require her to surrender her passport and report to police daily. The New South Wales Department of Education has already revoked her teaching accreditation.
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