Teacher implicated in sex claims, resigned

The Pava’ia’i Elementary Teacher implicated in an alleged sexual case involving several female students has resigned from his post.

Senetenari Malele also known as DJ Sentinol tendered his resignation to the Department of Education on 30 March, a few days before criminal charges were filed against him.

This is according to the Acting Director of the Department of Education Teofilo Fa’afetai in an interview with KVZK news.

“The teacher in question tendered his resignation,” said Faafetai.

Malele who is out on $20,00 is facing 15 criminal charges including seven counts of assault third degree; two charges of sexual abuse first degree and six counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

This case was dismissed during the preliminary examination hearing earlier this month, however, it was re-filed.

During the first PX hearing the KVZK news reporter was ordered by Judge Pro-Temp JC Clemens, to leave the courtroom and was not allowed to sit in along with members of the public that were not a party to this matter.

According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, on March 29, 2023, a woman and her daughter filed a complaint with the Police Tafuna Substation regarding “an incident that occurred at the Pavaia’i Elementary School involving a 7th-grade male teacher.”

The mother told Police, her daughter said she was not comfortable going back to school, alleging that her teacher, Malele touched her inappropriately on two separate occasions.

During the first incident in March, it's alleged that Malele called her to his desk and then touched her inappropriately, and then asked her if he should stop, but she was afraid to put a stop to it because she feared that it would cost her her grades; “so she didn't say anything.”

The criminal affidavit says the student told Police that when she told her classmate what occurred, it's alleged that the second female student claimed that also happened to her.

According to the criminal court affidavit, other two female students claimed they too were allegedly touched inappropriately.