'Defence of mediocrity': Erica Stanford slams union boss after damning sex predator review

Education Minister Erica Stanford says a union boss’s presidency is “potentially untenable” after a damning review blasted child safety failings at the Teaching Council. 

Stanford said New Zealand Educational Institute president Ripeka Lessels spent years on the council’s governing board and was among those holding key leadership positions during a period now under scrutiny in respect of disgraced teacher and sexual predator Timothy Fisher. 

Fisher was able to become registered, certified and pass multiple police vets despite having historic convictions for masturbating in a public spa pool in sight of children. 

He initially hid the convictions under the Clean Slate Act, but even once they were disclosed in 2015, the council recertified Fisher and sent him back into classrooms where he later sexually abused nine young girls. 

Lessels has not commented directly today. But the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) issued a statement directing questions about Stanford’s comment to Teaching Council chairman Patrick Walsh, who it said was “appointed by the minister, who was on the disciplinary tribunal and governing council during this period and would therefore be better placed to answer you”. 

Stanford told the Herald Lessels was deputy chairperson at the council which had overseen the “egregious case”. 

“If she didn’t know, she should have known. 

“I think her position as [NZEI] president is potentially untenable.” 

New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa president Ripeka Lessels. Photo / NZEI 

Stanford said Lessels’ union was actively advocating to roll back sweeping government reforms at the Teaching Council designed to strengthen governance, lift professional standards and protect children. She labelled that “completely misguided”. 

In the face of several highly critical reports into the council’s culture and serious regulatory failures, Stanford questioned whether Lessels should continue to hold her position at NZEI. 

“She was the [Teaching Council] deputy chair and should have been asking more questions, and now is out there with her manifesto calling for my changes to be undone. 

“That indicates to me that they want to continue this defence of mediocrity. That’s not good enough.” 

The Herald put Stanford’s comment to NZEI for Lessels to respond to. 

Education Minister Erica Stanford says she was shocked by the report findings. Photo / NZME 

However, in an unattributed statement, the union did not address the personal criticisms levelled at its president, and instead commented only on the Fisher review findings. 

“The safety and wellbeing of our tamariki are paramount, and we support calls to strengthen processes at the Teaching Council.” 

NZEI said the review – conducted by Katherine Anderson, KC, and released yesterday – illustrated the failure and limitations of previous legislation and processes, “primarily the Clean Slate Act”, to prioritise child safety. 

“NZEI Te Riu Roa remains concerned that removing elected teacher representation from the governance of the Teaching Council risks further politicisation of the education system by the government of the day. 

“Upholding child safety and the mana of the teaching profession are mutually reinforcing, not binary objectives.” 

Pushed for a response to Stanford’s specific criticisms of Lessels and whether she felt unfairly singled out, NZEI directed questions to Walsh. 

The Teaching Council said Walsh had served on its governing council since 2019. Before that, he served for nine years on the disciplinary tribunal. 

“Information provided to the governing council regarding the Fisher case during that time was inaccurate. Briefings to the Minister on the case, from that period, were this month formally withdrawn in their entirety,” its statement read. 

“In July 2026, Mr Walsh was appointed by the Minister as chair of the governing council. The council appointed a new chief executive. Both have an unwavering commitment to child safety and to decisive and robust regulation of the teaching profession.” 

Victims advocate calls for culpability 

Disgraced teacher Timothy Fisher was sentenced to four years and five months in prison for sexual offending against young girls. Photo / Sylvie Whinray 

Yesterday, Walsh issued an unreserved apology to Fisher’s victims, the schools and wider teaching profession for the council’s serious failures, which he said “must not be repeated”. 

The council accepted the Anderson review findings unequivocally and had implemented organisation-wide changes to address the issues identified, Walsh said. 

The report found the council ignored 2014 police warnings about serious child safety risks for eight months while Fisher continued to teach illegally at Stratford High School, without a current practising certificate. 

It also found the regulatory agency should have cancelled Fisher’s registration due to serious misconduct in 2015 - nearly a decade before he was finally struck off following his conviction and imprisonment for sexual offending against children. 

Chief Victims Adviser Ruth Money was scathing in her response to the report, which she labelled “horrific” and demonstrating a “systems failure for all of New Zealand”. 

Money called for an investigation at the Teaching Council to identify who was responsible for the failures so individuals could be held accountable. 

She believed “heads should roll”. 

“This raises significant employment questions. This needs to be investigated and someone needs to be looking at culpability. Did they ask the right questions?” 

Money said the Fisher case also raised serious concerns about how many other uncertified teachers were currently in schools in close contact with vulnerable children, potentially without recent police vets. 

She urged parents to ask school leaders for evidence that teaching staff were properly registered and certified. 

‘Red flag’ police warning ignored for eight months 

Anderson was commissioned to investigate the Fisher case after a Herald investigation last year revealed his background and the regulatory body’s botched handling of the scandal. 

The report canvasses an astonishing series of missed opportunities that allowed the now disgraced teacher to work at 12 public schools and several private education providers in the years after he was convicted for indecencies. 

Fisher’s 2002 convictions were clean-slated when he was first registered as a teacher in 2011. 

However, he voluntarily disclosed his offending to Teaching Council staff after police issued a “red flag” warning during a criminal vetting check in July 2014. 

Auckland teacher Timothy Fisher, who has historic indecency convictions, also moonlighted as a Santa at three Auckland Westfield malls. Main photo / Sylvie Whinray 

The red flag related to “substantiated behaviour” after Fisher was allegedly caught masturbating in a car near a school in 2010. 

The police warning urged the council not to allow Fisher unsupervised access to children. 

But rather than immediately seek further information from police or Fisher, warn the school about police concerns, or prosecute Fisher for teaching without a current practising certificate, the council did nothing for eight months. 

“In light of the obvious safety consideration, speed was obviously of the essence,” Katherine Anderson, KC, wrote. 

“It was plainly concerning and urgent information which demanded an immediate response.” 

There was no explanation in the 870-page council file she reviewed for its inaction. Anderson said the council “does not appear to have turned its mind to the nature and extent of any risk to child safety” during its lengthy period of inactivity. 

“My impression is that the red stamp issue was put into the too hard basket. This is the opposite of how a regulator focused on student safety should respond.” 

SEXUAL ABUSE OR ASSAULTS - WHERE TO GET HELP: 

The Safe to Talk sexual harm helpline is available free 24/7: 

• Call 0800 044 334 
• Text 4334 
• Email support@safetotalk.nz 
• Resources, info and webchat at www.safetotalk.nz 

If it’s an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111. 

You can also visit the police website for information about reporting sexual crime. 

Lane Nichols is a senior journalist and Auckland Desk Editor for the New Zealand Herald with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry.