Equal Education media statement: Update on Doron Isaacs inquiry
On 18 May, Doron Isaacs resigned as Treasurer of Equal Education (EE), and as a member of the movement.
Members of EE’s management team submitted a request to EE’s National Council (NC) on 17 May, requesting it to suspend Isaacs, and investigate claims of sexual harassment against him. The NC was also requested to look into a 2011 investigation into his conduct that had cleared him of wrongdoing.
The NC formally resolved to establish an inquiry on 22 May. Law firm Cheadle Thompson and Haysom was asked to act as independent liaison with experienced external counsel, and to brief counsel on the drafting of terms of reference for the Isaacs panel. These were approved by the EE NC on 14 June.
Cheadle Thompson and Haysom, in consultation with the NC, compiled a list of potential panelists. We can now confirm that the panellists for the Isaacs inquiry are the following people:
Kathleen Satchwell, commonly known as Kathie Satchwell, is a retired Judge of the High Court of South Africa. She was a prominent human rights attorney in the 1990s. She gave evidence before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on the role of the legal system in contributing to the violations of human rights in South Africa under apartheid. She was appointed as a judge by then President Nelson Mandela in 1996, she is recently retired. She will be the Chairperson of the inquiry.