The principal of Scottish Church College said on Friday they did not initiate action against a contractual teacher despite coming to know about allegations of lewd text messages to a second-year student because the student did not want to lodge a complaint.

Principal Madhumanjari Mandal said when they learned about the allegations in July, she called the student and asked her if she wanted to lodge a complaint.

“She decided against lodging any complaint. There was not even a verbal complaint. Had there been one, we could have still pursued the matter. But in the absence of any form of complaint, we could not proceed. So, allegations that the college sat on a complaint and did not act until there was a students’ protest is not correct,” Mandal told The Telegraph.

The college suspended the contractual teacher on Thursday after the second-year student formally accused him of harassment on Wednesday.

Several students said though the college authorities knew about the alleged lewd texts since July, they waited for a formal complaint to take action.

“We don’t deny that we knew... But until and unless a complaint is lodged, we had no scope to pursue it,” Mandal said.

The Telegraph went through the letter of complaint that confirmed that the student did not want to lodge a complaint in late July because the accused is said to have stopped harassing her.

But the letter says the teacher resumed harassing her thereafter.

When this newspaper contacted the student on Friday, she said: “I did not lodge an official complaint in July. But he started harassing me again.”

The college showcaused the teacher, who served as physical instructor, on November 26.

“We have got screenshots of some of the texts that this teacher is said to have sent the student. The texts are extremely offensive and tarnished the image of the college. So, he was showcaused. He also admitted to his offence. Then the girl lodged a written complaint and we suspended the teacher till the governing body takes a further decision,” said Mandal.