Teacher charged with rape of Newington student still on education department payroll

The former Newington College teacher accused of raping a student at the prestigious private school was working at a secondary college in Sydney’s southern suburbs until her arrest, and is still being paid by the Department of Education while she confronts a string of child abuse offences.

Deandra Kontou, 32, was last week charged with nine offences, including aggravated sexual assault, four counts of sexual assault, and using an electronic device to groom her victim who was aged under 16 at the time.

She taught geography for two years at Newington, where she also led a year 7 mentorship group, before she was abruptly moved on in November 2019 once the allegation was conveyed to college staff.

Kontou, who went by her maiden name Haralambidis while at Newington, was teaching at Georges River College Senior Campus, Oatley, until she was arrested at her Sutherland home last week. She had been permanently employed by the Department of Education at the co-educational senior school since 2024, where she taught society and culture, history and geography.

Kontou was removed from the school as detectives prepared charges against her, and the NSW Education Standards Authority has revoked her accreditation. She remains on the public payroll having been put on “alternative duties” while banned from teaching children under the conditions of her bail.

The charges Kontou faces don’t relate to her time at the Oatley school, and she is not accused of any criminal wrongdoing while employed by the Department of Education over the past two years.

Mark Morrison, acting deputy head of Newington’s Stanmore campus where the secondary college is based, wrote to staff and parents on Monday and apologised for interrupting the school break with such “distressing news”.

“Please know that our thoughts first and foremost are with the [alleged] victim, survivor and their family,” Morrison said, in an excerpt of the letter seen by this masthead.

“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’s employment at Georges River College while under investigation by the NSW Police over the Newington allegations has raised concerns among parents and students, who have been rocked by the charges facing the teacher. Detectives restarted their investigation into Kontou in 2025 after initially probing the incidents at the time.

One Georges River parent, whose daughter was taught by Kontou and requested anonymity to protect the identity of her child, wrote to the principal on Tuesday saying she was “deeply concerned” by the allegations the teacher now confronts.

“I would like reassurance regarding the processes followed in relation to staff screening, risk assessment and student safety,” the parent wrote.

“I am not seeking confidential information about any individual, but I believe parents are entitled to understand how student welfare and safety have been protected in this situation.”

Kontou was granted conditional bail in Sutherland Local Court last Wednesday to return to her home in Sydney’s southern suburbs. She is banned from entering schools or undertaking teaching jobs that require contact with children, contacting the alleged victim and any prosecuting witnesses, or being in the company of a child without another adult present.

There are about 2000 students across Newington College’s Stanmore and Lindfield campuses. The school, founded in 1863, started accepting girls into its classrooms this year following a highly contentious decision that led to courtroom showdowns and a broader culture war over the merits of all-boy schools and toxic masculinity.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.

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