• Former Auckland Symphony Orchestra conductor and music teacher Peter Thomas was censured and struck off for having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student.
• Epsom Girls Grammar School has said it acted as soon as there were “verified allegations” against Thomas.
• A second student has now come forward claiming she complained about his conduct prior to that relationship

A former student of disgraced Epsom Girls Grammar music teacher Peter Thomas says she raised concerns about him months before the school was alerted to an alleged sexual relationship he was having with another student.

Mia* decided to come forward when EGGS principal Brenda McNaughton emailed parents and caregivers in September stating that as soon as the school was made aware of “verified allegations” against Thomas “immediate action was taken”.

After learning of the message Mia experienced guilt and regret that her earlier complaint against Thomas didn’t result in action that might have prevented his later sexual misconduct against another student.

“I felt sick,” she told the Herald. “The school is trying to protect its image at this point.”

Peter Thomas

Mia said she first made her complaint at the end of 2018 when she was in Year 12, a keen music student, who saw EGGS as a potential gateway to the musical career she wanted.

Her allegation was first confided in a school counsellor, she said. She told the counsellor Thomas was having erections in class “more often than not” and then repeated the allegation to a second school counsellor in early 2019.

Her concerns were met with sympathy, she said, and escalated to deputy principal Karen Dempsey.

Mia felt the school took her complaint seriously during the first meeting, and she agreed to have her identity revealed to Thomas so the school could investigate properly.

She said the school also told her that returning to music lessons would not be an option for her.

Through his lawyer, Thomas has told the Herald he denied and still denies the allegations by Mia, “they simply did not happen”, he said.

He confirmed the school investigated the complaint and said the allegations were not substantiated. “This was the finding of the school. I agreed with that finding” he said.

EGGS did not provide specific answers to detailed questions about its handling of the situation.

Peter Thomas. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Mia claims she was told on February 22, 2019 there was not enough evidence, and the investigation officially ended on March 27, 2019.

Mia said she was later asked to sign a “student plan to maintain safety at school” which barred her from entering the music department.

The Herald has seen this document.

“[Mia] is not to go to the music department for any reason,” it directed.

“If [Mia] wishes to attend a school music event either at school or offsite [she] is expected to discuss this with [the counsellor] well beforehand.”

“[Mia] will respect the need for all matters related to the allegations she presented in term 1 and the subsequent investigation, to be kept private and confidential.”

“If [Mia] should happen to meet Mr Thomas by chance she will ignore him,” the May 2019 document said.

Mia also alleges the school told her she could no longer take Year 13 scholarship music - even if she studied alone outside the music department. The Herald has been unable to verify this with EGGS.

“It was crushing, I remember just feeling like, ‘oh, yeah, my music career was definitely over’,” she told the Herald.

“I feel like wasted potential... If I had just stayed quiet I could have a career.”

She says the rest of the year was lonely as she had to lie to her peers that illness was stopping her from taking music.

Peter Thomas conducting the Auckland Symphony Orchestra in 2017.

Later that year music teacher Peter Thomas began a sexual relationship with another student and he was subsequently found guilty of serious misconduct by the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal, censured and struck off as a teacher.

The tribunal evidence found in November Thomas “prevailed on [the student] to have sex with him, which ... was painful but to which she felt she could not say no”.

In light of this, the Herald asked EGGS if it believed it had properly investigated Mia’s earlier complaint and why she was barred from entering the music department.

The Herald also sent McNaughton a detailed list of questions, including whether she was aware of Mia’s complaint when she emailed the school community in September.

She said the “historic allegations” against Thomas relate to a period before her appointment as principal so she was seeking more details and clarification.

McNaughton said the school’s primary concern is the safety and welfare of students and others in the school community.

“We are constantly reviewing our protocol to ensure it is as robust as possible for the protection of the girls. Whilst we are reviewing this information we encourage any other students with concerns to contact us directly, in confidence.”

The Herald has sent several follow-up emails but the school has not responded.

The school’s board has referred the Herald back to McNaughton.

Education Minister Erica Stanford declined to comment.

A spokesperson for the Teaching Council told the Herald: “If any students or parents have concerns relating to the conduct of Mr Thomas or how any historic complaint was dealt with by the school at the time, we encourage them to get in touch with the Teaching Council.

“We will consider any information we receive and decide if a response from the Teaching Council is appropriate”.

*Mia was under 18 when she made the accusation and her name has been changed to protect her identity.

Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers social issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.