• Susan Mowat claims she was unfairly dismissed from Christchurch Boys’ High School after resigning in 2019. 
• Mowat alleges a deteriorating relationship with headmaster Nic Hill, being blamed for incidents she wasn’t involved in. 
• The Employment Relations Authority continues today with Mowat speaking about ‘defecation’ incidents. 

A former Christchurch Boys’ High School teacher has told the Employment Relations Authority she believes headmaster Nic Hill “left faeces” at her property eight times in “retaliation” for her raising concerns about him with the board and police. 

Susan Mowat revealed today that someone “defecated” at her Christchurch property repeatedly, leaving a “most disgusting” scene on her driveway. 

She said the first incident came soon after she spoke to Christchurch Boys’ High School’s (CBHS) board and police about “serious safety concerns” relating to Hill. 

Because of the timing, she suspected Hill was behind the defecation. 

Christchurch Boys' High School headmaster Nic Hill. Photo / George Heard 

Mowat taught at CBHS for more than a decade until she resigned in December 2019. 

She said her departure was the direct result of “being targeted” by Hill and “blamed” and “falsely accused” of things she did not do. 

She has accused the school of unfair dismissal, and this week, an investigation hearing began before ERA member Lucia Vincent. 

Today CBHS lawyer AJ Lodge said Hill and the board “had to raise concerns” with Mowat during her employment about her “behaviour”. 

Those concerns were around her speaking about Hill in the school community. 

She was forbidden from participating in any “gossip or hearsay” going forward. 

Lodge accused Mowat of continuing to speak about Hill. 

She also accused the former teacher of telling people Hill was responsible for the incidents at her property. 

“You had been telling people that Nic had been defecating in your entryway didn’t you … you had no evidence it was Nic, did you? You assumed it was him?” Lodge posed. 

Mowat agreed she had no information but stood by her suspicion that Hill was behind the vile deposit. 

She said the first incident was after she conveyed to the board and police that she feared for her safety given Hill lived close to her. She worried he would “retaliate” against her. 

“I said ‘I am terrified he is going to come to my house and do something … turn up and throw a stone … do something … I felt I was going to be retaliated against in some way,” Mowat told Vincent. 

She spoke to a private investigator, who asked her if she had any conflict with anyone specific. 

“I said yes, and he asked ‘is it a male?’ I said yes and he said ‘don’t look any further, I’m very much suspecting this is your person’,” Mowat explained. 

Christchurch Boys' High School headmaster Nic Hill. Photo / NZME 

Mowat told a senior colleague at CBHS. 

She told him that “the timing meant that this is looking like this could be Nic”. 

“He said ‘no, no it will be [another CBHS] department’ and I said ‘why do you think they would come and poo on my driveway?’ It is the most disgusting thing to pick up. 

“He said ‘there is conflict between them and Nic … to set Nic up, to make it look like Nic because of the conflict already existing between you and Nic.” 

The hearing continues. 

Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz