A former Newington College teacher accused of raping a student at the prestigious Sydney private school continues to receive a Department of Education salary while on bail over a series of alleged child sex offences.
Deandra Kontou, 32, was arrested last week after allegedly sexually assaulting and grooming a student in her care. Investigators believe the child was younger than 16 when the alleged offences occurred.
Kontou taught geography at the all-boys school for two years before leaving in 2019. She now faces nine charges following a lengthy police investigation.
The allegations include aggravated sexual assault involving a victim under her authority, grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity, and aggravated offences linked to inciting sexual acts, sexual touching and using a carriage service to groom a child for sex.
She was granted conditional bail last week and is expected to return to her home in Sydney’s south. Kontou is understood to remain employed at Georges River College Senior Campus.
Before her arrest, she taught society and culture, history and geography at the co-educational school, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Although Kontou was removed from the campus after detectives laid the charges, she remains on the public payroll. She has been assigned ‘alternative duties’ because her bail conditions prevent her from teaching or having contact with children.
The charges do not relate to her work at the Oatley school, where she has been employed since 2024.
Deandra Kontou, 32, was arrested after allegedly raping and grooming a student in her care. (She is pictured at a pre-wedding celebration in April 2017)
She remains on the public payroll after being removed from teaching duties at Georges River College Senior Campus
Kontou appears 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 development came 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,’ Mr 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.’
While teaching at Newington, Kontou used her maiden name, Haralambidis. She had recently married when she began working at the school in late 2017.
Several months earlier, Kontou—known as ‘Miss Dee’ in a post by her gym—had been working to lose weight ahead of her wedding to her husband, George, who has since deleted his LinkedIn account.
In a February 2018 post about her weight loss, her personal trainer wrote: ‘Being a busy school teacher with growing life responsibilities, Deandra is to be commended on her consistent attendance to personal training and sessions on her own.’
In a separate post, the trainer praised Kontou for keeping up her gym routine while managing ‘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 taking teaching roles involving contact with children
Kontou left Newington College in late 2019
When the Daily Mail 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 the Daily Mail: ‘As this matter is before the Courts, we are not able to provide any further comment at this time.’
The Daily Mail has contacted the NSW Department of Education and Georges River College Oatley Senior Campus for comment.
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