The Teacher's Pet

Lynette Dawson was an Australian homemaker and mother. She disappeared without a trace in 1982 and her whereabouts, dead or alive, have never been determined. The Teachers Pet podcast investigated details of her marriage to rugby league player and teacher Chris Dawson, her disappearance, an extramarital affair between her husband and a sixteen-year-old school girl,[2] claims of sexual misconduct between teachers and students at Cromer High and other Northern Beaches public high schools,[3] flaws in the police investigation, effects on the families involved and the unwillingness of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to charge Chris Dawson despite two coronial inquests concluding that Dawson was dead and most likely killed by her husband.[2][4]

Thomas created the podcast and the series was produced by Slade Gibson, former guitarist for the rock band Savage Garden.[5] The series commenced in May 2018 and the core podcast concluded in August 2018 after 14 episodes. When announcing the final episode, Thomas stated that, "The investigating and reporting job has largely been done in examining and bringing to light the new evidence that’s out there," and added that more episodes would be produced when new leads are fully explored.[6]

Two further episodes were added in late 2018 as the case evolved; the first covered a new dig for evidence at the Dawsons's former Bayview home, and the second detailed the arrest of Dawson on 5 December 2018 by detectives from the Queensland Homicide squad.[7] On advice from the Office of the New South Wales Director of Public Prosecutions, and in the interests of a fair trial, The Australian removed The Teachers Pet from download in Australia in April 2019, prior to the upcoming court case.[8]

The series has had over 28 million downloads,[9] was the number one Australian podcast, and also reached number one in the UK, Canada and New Zealand.[6] Both Thomas and Gibson won Gold Walkley Awards for The Teacher's Pet.[10] Despite Walkley Award judges declaring the podcast to be a "a masterclass in investigative journalism",[10] in an article for Inside story Melbourne Law School professor Jeremy Gans stated that "As admissible evidence goes, the podcast’s case is even less compelling" and attributed any new leads to the popularity and publicity generated by The Teacher's Pet, rather than any investigation done by the podcast.[11]

The Sydney Morning Herald reported a police source as stating "that "100 per cent" of the reason for the new dig was public pressure that had come about following the podcast and subsequent media and public interest in the case", but "Witnesses have told police and the podcast two different versions of events" and that "some of the information used in the podcast came from a clairvoyant."[4] The ABC also reported police sources as denying that The Teacher's Pet investigation led to Chris Dawson's arrest.[9]

In July 2018, NSW Police began Strike Force Southwood to look into claims of sexual assaults and student-teacher relationships at high schools mentioned in the podcast,[3]and it has been credited with encouraging more women to come forward to give evidence.[12] While crediting The Teachers Pet with inspiring investigations into the possible abuse, The Sydney Morning Herald commented after Dawson's arrest that the popularity and biased nature of the podcast would jeopardise any conviction, as the defence had a "compelling argument that their client has little chance of receiving a fair trial".[13]

• Interview with Hedley Thomas about the making of The Teachers Pet