South African school scandal shocks Oprah

A well-intentioned Oprah Winfrey recently found out a school she has helped found and fund in South Africa has been hit with allegations of sexual and physical abuse by school staff. The talk-show queen, who I really do think meant well, did the right thing recently by going to the school to confront the allegations, accepting responsibility in the case for trusting the wrong people.

News24/Rapport is reporting:

The TV talk-show queen has visited her school at Henley-on-Klip near Vereeniging at least twice in the past few weeks, after allegations that one of the matrons fondled a girl and that other pupils had been physically abused.

Oprah gave the girls her personal telephone number, her e-mail address and her postal address so that they could contact her at any time, day or night.

Apart from the matron apparently involved, Oprah sent the principal, a Dr Mzimane, and at least one other matron on leave two weeks ago. Only the principal was on paid leave.

A parent told Rapport on Saturday evening that the abuse had visibly upset Oprah. She had felt guilty because she had trusted the principal and the matron.

“I trusted her (Dr Mzimane). When I appointed her, I thought she was passionate about the children of Africa.

While the public display of tears is of little interest, the important thing to Hollywood Idiocy is that Oprah is not hiding the problem or going on the defense or lawyering up: she’s putting the parties responsible for alleged abuse on leave and dealing with a very difficult issue.

While more may come to the surface in the future on this issue, HollywoodIdiocy is not above giving credit where credit is due, and any celebrity who deals as forthrightly with scandal as Oprah seems to be doing here is welcome at our poker tables any time.