Chennai, Nov 22 (IANS): Tamil Nadu's Chief Educational officer on Monday placed under suspension the headmaster of a government higher secondary school after he failed to take action on a complaint of sexual harassment lodged by three class 12 girl students against a Biology teacher.

He was placed under suspension after students and parents conducted a road blockade demanding action against the headmaster for covering up the complaint.

Three girls had lodged a complaint against the Biology teacher of Government model higher secondary school, Perundur. The girls, in the complaint, said that the teacher, V. Thirumalaimoorthy, 49, misbehaved with them during online classes and subjected them to sexual harassment and later in the offline classes also in September.

The girls complained to the headmaster of the school, Ganeshan about the incident two months ago but the headmaster did not take any action and told the students not to disclose the matter to anyone else.

After the girls alerted Childline no 1098, the District Child Protection Unit of Erode conducted an inquiry and lodged a complaint with the All Women Police station, Erode. A case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and Thirumalamoorthy was arrested on Sunday.