“Do you want to go there," Says Mowat Under Cross Examination Regarding Defecation Incidents

Thursday, 3 April 2025. Day 2 of the Susan Mowat v Christchurch Boys' High School Board of Trustees case in Employment Relations Authority.

Day two (Tuesday) of the Mowat versus Boys’ High employment case saw her break emotionally while undergoing cross examination regarding the anonymous letters saga and admitting there was no proof Hill had defecated on her driveway. Mowat had given evidence that faeces were found on her driveway on 8 occasions.

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A photo from Day 2

At the outset, Boy High’s lawyer Ashley-Jane Lodge probed Mowat’s testimony and had Mowat admit she did file a complaint while at the school, contradicting her statement.

Lodge then questioned her regarding incidents covered by Mowat on Day One of the hearing as well the defecation issues.

Mowat said she told Craig Dunnett but not Nic Hill about the forthcoming placement of cones on Kahu Road. She said another staff member, Nigel Vernon, had told her not to take “stuff” to Hill.

As for not speaking at the Positive education office conference, AJ questioned whether Hill had in fact forbade her from going. Rather she suggested Hill had signaled. But Mowat felt Hill didn’t want her to speak, believing it to be an order.

As for the Women’s Day boycott of 9 March 2018, she confirmed she didn’t tell Hill about the boycott. Again, she said she did this, on Vernon’s advice.

She added she had just been told by Hill she was cheeky to go to him after he had turned down her request for money for food for platters for a Women’s Day celebration.

Mowat said she couldn’t say she'd had an amazing working relationship with Hill. But she admitted Hill had said she was not an organiser of the boycott.

As for the TVNZ filming incident, she said she thought Hill already knew about it and assumed that all procedure had been followed. She says Hill said he had told the staff but she had no emails showing this.

Mowat responded to questions about her conduct. Asked whether the board and Hill had raised concerns about her behaviour, she says Leanne Watson, the board chair, had done so on 14 March 2019 regarding the anonymous letters.

Lodge spoke of Hill telling her she couldn't step outside designated role on student council and that it didn’t give you a mandate to implement decisions. And that Hill on 16 March 2018 Hill told her she had to follow the correct procedures.

In a follow up letter, he told again to follow the correct procedures when making decisions and to not criticise the school (in addition to other expectations).

It was agreed with Hill that he would attend each student forum and the minutes for the forum would be provided to him. Mowat admitted to there being some delay in confirming the dates for the forum, saying she had been waiting on responses from senior school leaders.

It came to Hill’s attention she had invited senior school leaders. He didn't see this in a positive light. He told her she hadn't followed his instructions and had worked to undermine him. As a result, he relieved her of role on student forum on 20 March 2018.

Hill wrote to her again about speaking negatively of school and spreading misinformation. She was reminded in letters of 16 and 20 March 2018 his expectations of her.

And again, in April 2018, he told her not to be seen as subversive.

Mowat said she believed this related to the anonymous letters. But Lodge confirmed with her this was not mentioned.

In May 2018, Hill raised the issue of her behaviour again, in May of that year, and the need for clear parameters.

After students showed a wish for her to return to the student forum, she was given another chance to run it.

It was in then March 2019 that the Boys’ High board told her its expectations of her.

Questioning turned to other situations where Mowat was reported to have talked in a negative way about Hill. Mowat recalled talking about Hill to another female staff member in a toilet when she felt unwell and at a female staff dinner, after Hill had turned down the request for funds for the food platters.

Mowat said there was ill feeling in the group towards Hill because of his actions and she had only told them the result of the meeting with Hill. The group, says Mowat, decided to meet with Hill.

Lodge put it to Mowat that she had said “things were in motion” to get rid of Hill and that he would be leaving soon. The NZR did not record Mowat’s response to this. [But Mowat's lawyer raised this matter on Day three and sought proof of this].

Then in a move that surprised Mowat, Lodge questioned her about the defecation incidents. Mowat was asked whether she had told staff member Steve Fraser.

Hill had defecated on the entranceway to her property. “Do you want to go there,” she responded.