A former principal at a Christchurch school has been accused of not passing on complaints to the school's board.

RNZ earlier revealed the former principal of Māori immersion school Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Waitaha, Melissa Waitoa-Paki, resigned in June amid allegations she failed to protect the safety of children and manage conflicts of interest.

Last week RNZ obtained a series of documents from the school under the Official Information Act (OIA).

The documents include a March email from a police officer to the chair of the board and lawyers representing the school regarding a formal complaint about a staff member's behaviour. RNZ understands the staff member is Waitoa-Paki.

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The email is heavily redacted, however RNZ understands the email also includes allegations that Waitoa-Paki did not pass on complaints to the board of the school.

On Tuesday, RNZ asked the Ministry of Education if it was advised of allegations.

In response, the ministry's director of education for Canterbury and Chatham Islands Coralanne Child said they "weren't notified that the former principal failed to pass complaints on to the school board".

"If the board was working through an employment process with the former principal, that was a matter for the board, not the ministry, as we are not the employer."

Child said the ministry later became aware of concerns that Waitoa-Paki had not passed on complaints to the board "through its work supporting the school, rather than through any formal reporting process".

Asked what concerns the ministry had about the claims, Child said school boards played "an important governance role and need access to relevant information to make informed decisions and meet their obligations"

"The school has a new presiding member, and the board is being supported by the ministry and external advisers. Our focus is on helping the school to provide a safe and effective learning environment for students and staff and minimising disruption to teaching and learning.

"Employment matters involving a principal are the responsibility of the board as the employer. We expect concerns or complaints to be raised through the school's processes so they can be considered and responded to by the appropriate people."

Child earlier confirmed the ministry gave "careful consideration to a statutory intervention".

"However, through its ongoing engagement with the board, the ministry considered that the board had put appropriate supports and governance arrangements were in place, including support provided by the ministry and external advisers."

RNZ has attempted to approach Paki for comment.

In response to questions from RNZ, the board said it was not able to comment about "whether or not any allegations were ever made relating to the conduct of any specific current or former employee, in order to protect their privacy".

"The current Ohu Whakahaere of Te Kura Whakapūmau was elected in November 2025 and remains committed to its governance responsibilities, supporting the educational achievement, wellbeing, and holistic development of tamariki in accordance with the values and aspirations of the kura community.

"Te Ohu Whakahaere continues to work collaboratively with relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Education and the Teaching Council and remains committed to fostering a safe, nurturing, and high-quality learning environment where Tamariki can thrive as learners, confident in their identity, language, and culture."