Female Australian High School Teacher Banned for Serious Misconduct

Evanne Evans, 01 July 2025

A high school teacher in Melbourne, Australia, was sacked from her role for serious misconduct. It was reported that she persistently messaged a 17-year-old student 35,000 times and subsequently engaged in a sexual relationship with him after he turned 18 years old.

Eleanor Yorke, who is now in her 30s, joined Carey Baptist High School in 2017, teaching biology and chemistry to Year 12 students. The school first raised allegations against her in May 2023, and her employment was terminated a month later.

She accepted allegations of serious misconduct at a Victoria Institute of Teaching hearing in March 2025, having violated her professional relationship with the then-student by having personal conversations with him without a valid reason that led to a sexual relationship. The email messages sent to the ex-student showed a significant increase in emotional bonding with frequent suggestive references that their relationship be taken to a new level, once the student had completed Year 12.

Although the panel hearing was told that the relationship was consensual, it was deemed an inappropriate and alarming power imbalance.

It was reported that Yorke had discussed a code of practice with the teenager, stating that teachers cannot enter into a relationship with an ex-student until at least two years after they have left the institution. Still, she chose to ignore it, which is a “deliberate rejection of professional standards”.

According to the Victorian Institute of Teaching, Yorke was not fit to hold teacher registration, and it must be cancelled. Therefore, her teaching license has now been revoked for three years.