A former Newington College teacher accused of sexually assaulting a student at the prestigious Sydney boys’ school remains on the Department of Education payroll while on bail over a series of alleged child-sex offences.
Deandra Kontou, 32, was arrested last week after police alleged she groomed and sexually assaulted a student in her care. Detectives believe the alleged victim was under 16 at the time.
Kontou taught geography at Newington for two years before leaving in 2019. Following a lengthy investigation, she was charged with nine sexual offences.
The allegations include aggravated sexual assault involving a person under her authority, grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity, and aggravated offences involving the incitement of sexual acts, sexual touching and the use of a carriage service to groom a child for sex.
She was granted conditional bail last week and allowed to return to her home in Sydney’s south. Kontou is understood to remain employed at Georges River College Senior Campus.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Kontou had been teaching society and culture, history and geography at the co-educational school until her arrest.
Although she has been removed from the campus, Kontou remains a public servant and continues to be paid. She has been assigned “alternative duties” because her bail conditions prohibit her from teaching or working with children.
The charges do not relate to Kontou’s employment at the Oatley school, where she began working in 2024.
Deandra Kontou, 32, was arrested over allegations that she sexually assaulted and groomed a student in her care. She is pictured at a pre-wedding celebration in April 2017.
Kontou remains on the public payroll after being suspended from teaching duties at Georges River College Senior Campus.
Kontou appeared in a staff photograph taken this year at Georges River College Senior Campus.
Kontou is scheduled to appear before Burwood Local Court on November 25.
The case emerged days after Mark Morrison, acting deputy head of Newington College’s Stanmore campus, wrote to parents about the “distressing news”.
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“Please know that our thoughts first and foremost are with the [alleged] victim, survivor and their family,” Morrison wrote.
“I acknowledge that this news may land differently for you depending on your personal circumstances and tenure at the College. We did feel it was important that you heard from the College and if you have any concerns, please contact me.”
Kontou used her maiden name, Haralambidis, while teaching at Newington. She had recently married when she joined the school in late 2017.
Several months earlier, Kontou—known as “Miss Dee” in a post shared by her gym—had been working to lose weight ahead of her wedding to her husband, George. His LinkedIn account has since been deleted.
In a February 2018 post about her progress, her personal trainer wrote that the busy teacher deserved praise for her regular personal-training sessions and independent workouts while managing growing responsibilities.
In a separate post, the trainer also praised Kontou for keeping up her gym routine while balancing “a busy work life as a school teacher and after-hours tutor”.
Under her bail conditions, Kontou must report to police each week and is prohibited from entering any school or accepting teaching work that involves contact with children.
Kontou left Newington College in late 2019
When Our News Outlet attempted to reach family members for comment on Tuesday, some denied any relation to Deandra.
A woman who identified herself as the accused’s sister-in-law – the sister of her husband George – said, ‘I would prefer you not to stalk my [Facebook] account. I’ve got no further comment,’ before hanging up.
A Newington spokesperson told Our News Outlet: ‘As this matter is before the Courts, we are not able to provide any further comment at this time.’
Our News Outlet has contacted the NSW Department of Education and Georges River College Oatley Senior Campus for comment.
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