A principal of a top boy's preparatory school will not return to his post until arguments in an urgent application by the governing body to prevent his return are heard in the KZN High Court (Pietermaritzburg).

According to News24, this was the agreement reached between lawyers acting on behalf of the KZN Education Department and the governing body of the prestigious Merchiston Preparatory School in Pietermaritzburg yesterday.

The governing body had sought an order to interdict Llewellyn Bragin from resuming his duties.

KZN Education MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, and the head of department, Nkosinathi Ngcobo, must file their answering affidavits by 15 August and their heads of argument by 26 August. The matter will be back in court on 29 August, when a date will be decided for the application to be argued.

The department recently cleared Bragin of misconduct charges, which included sexual harassment charges made against him by four staff members, as well as the bullying of two pupils.

He was suspended in September 2023 and was scheduled to go back to work last Thursday. But protesting parents barred him from entering the premises.

During a meeting between the governing body and Education Department officials last Thursday, it was agreed that Bragin would not return to the school this week. 

Paul Campbell, the chairperson of the governing body, stated in court documents that because of their concerns about what they called a 'flawed' disciplinary process, they could not support a principal ‘who is the subject of serious allegations of financial mismanagement’ and ‘accusations of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct by female members of staff’, unless these accusations are ‘found to be false in an unimpeachable quasi-judicial process’.

According to News24, he said that, because many of the complainants were directly employed by the governing body, it was obliged, as the employer, to ensure that a safe workplace was provided to its female employees.

He said since it became public knowledge that Bragin's suspension had been lifted on 1 August, the governing body has received a resignation, with the threat of more to come from staff members that it employs.

He said the governing body has had sight of a collective grievance, signed by about 40 staff members, which has been sent to the department and the governing body by governing-body employed staff.

Bragin declined to comment, saying that, as an employee of the department, he was not allowed to speak to the media.

Full News24 report