CALABAR STUDENTS DENY TEACHER’S CLAIMS

The two Calabar High athletes at the centre of the controversy involving a teacher at the school are speaking out. Star athletes Christopher Taylor and Dejour Russell, through their attorney, Christopher Townsend, have denied allegations that they assaulted Sanjaye Shaw, the head of Calabar’s Physics Department. Mr. Shaw claimed he was assaulted by the boys at a camp on the school compound on December 15, during a dispute over sleeping mats. Mr. Shaw also claimed he was bullied by the two students. He has filed a complaint with the police. However, during a media briefing on Tuesday, Mr. Townsend said his clients, who are preparing to participate in the ISSA Boys and Girls Athletics Championships, desperately want to give their side of the incident. According to the attorney, the boys were sent to the Physics lab by another person in authority to go and retrieve the sleeping mats.  He said the confusion must have arisen due to an administrative glitch which resulted in both camps being held at the same time with limited resources being allocated.  “That should have been dealt with by the administration and not the boys sent out to effect something,” Mr. Townsend said.  “We of course maintain that there was in fact no assault on anyone at all,” the attorney maintained.  Mr. Townsend said the athletes are prepared to challenge the matter if it reaches court.  He said the negative publicity is affecting the two athletes. “We want to put this behind us. It has caused them harm, they are having difficulties as it relates to their friends, as it relates to their family life, they’re being bombarded by social media and formal media and we would really like to see the end of this,” he said.