Durban, Jan. 19 (PTI): A scandal similar to the MMS school sex episode that rocked India recently is gripping a high school in the town of Pietermaritzburg, about 100 km from here.

A 16-year-old boy is reported to have taken ?inappropriate? pictures of his young woman teacher and then circulated the pictures to his friends via SMS for payment.

The principal of the Maritzburg College strongly condemned the action of the boy but contended that ?boys will be boys?. The teacher, Estelle Pederson, has, however, taken a different view and is suing the school authorities and the boy for R50,000 (Rs 3.25 lakhs).

In papers filed before a civil court, Pederson claimed certain images were inappropriate and constituted a gross invasion of her privacy.

She claimed the offending pupil stored the images on his cellphone and showed them to about 40 pupils at school. She said the boy sent the pictures via SMS in return for payment to other pupils.

She said the fact that the incident was widely reported in the press and her identity was in public knowledge, she was humiliated and degraded.

The boy, who cannot be identified because of his age, has been sent for rehabilitation for first time offenders.