PHOTO: GETTY IMAGESA dispute over a missing jar of lollies has resulted in a former Invercargill secondary school teacher being found guilty of serious misconduct. Mr McKenzie no longer lives or works in Invercargill. The decision by the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal about the incident was released last week. The pair argued for a time and then Mr McKenzie "quickly open-handed slapped Student A with his right hand across the left side of Student A’s face". Mr McKenzie provided a statement to the tribunal in which he reflected about the incident and expressed his deep remorse for his actions.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 16, 2026 15:34 UTC