Teachers leveling serious allegations
Prayagraj: The prestigious Bishop Johnson Girls’ School on Mission Road is once again embroiled in controversy. Teachers have leveled serious allegations against the current management and Bishop Morris Edgar Dan, calling it a major “fraud.” They allege that instead of conducting a fair investigation into the former accountant, who was embroiled in financial misappropriation and corruption, the new management has reinstated him.
Three years of struggle and the bishop’s promise: According to the teachers, this dispute dates back nearly three years. In 2021, teachers launched a prolonged protest, from the streets to the courts, against widespread financial irregularities and alleged theft at the school. During that time, Bishop Morris Edgar Dan (who was not a bishop at the time) reportedly supported the teachers and promised to completely eradicate corruption from the management after his election as bishop. Under pressure from the protest, the then principal stepped down, handing over her position to a senior teacher, Sukriti Massey, as acting principal.
Allegations of embezzlement of crores and dismissal of accountant: Upon taking charge, the senior teacher launched a campaign against the school’s accountant, Sanjay Singh. According to sources and allegations, the senior teacher accused accountant Sanjay Singh of forcing her to sign fake bills and receipts worth crores of rupees. After the teacher exposed this misdeed, the then Bishop, recognizing the seriousness of the matter, hastily appointed Parul Solomon as acting principal, formed a committee to investigate the allegations of embezzlement of crores of rupees, and dismissed the accused accountant, Sanjay Singh. Additionally, approximately 15 teachers and staff members who had been fired due to the agitation were reinstated.
Hopes for pending salaries dashed: During the COVID-19 pandemic, school teachers were owed approximately 29 months of salary. In 2023, a committee formed by Parul Solomon developed a plan to clear these pending payments from frozen funds in their bank accounts. Teachers were hopeful of receiving their dues, but a management change in 2024 upended the situation.
Big questions raised on the decisions of the new management: Teachers allege that in 2024, the current Bishop Morris Edgar Dan and his son, Alan Dan, allegedly flouted rules and appointed the wife of a peon as the new principal of the school, who had neither the experience nor the qualifications to teach in the senior secondary or middle classes. Bishop Morris Edgar Dan himself has publicly revealed this fact several times. Furthermore, the biggest shock came when Sanjay Singh, a dismissed accountant accused of embezzling crores of rupees, was reappointed to the same post. The protesting teachers allege that Bishop Morris Edgar Dan exploited the teachers’ sentiments and the movement solely for his own power and personal gain. While the previous management was planning legal and punitive action against the accused, why did the new management, Bishop Morris Edgar Dan, immediately reinstate him? This clearly indicates a major financial nexus behind this reappointment?
Following this entire incident, the school’s teachers feel betrayed. The current management has yet to issue an official, clarifying response to these serious allegations. Given the reputation of a prestigious institution like Bishop Johnson Girls’ School and the future of its teachers, the matter has become a topic of discussion within the city’s administrative and educational circles, and a group of social workers and teachers are now ready to once again fight against this corruption.
