SHANGHAI - A vice-principle was fired from a Shanghai middle school after a group of his former students took to the Internet to break their 15-year silence on his alleged acts of sexual misconduct.

Zhang Datong, 64, has been stripped of his post as vice-principle of the No 2 Middle School affiliated with East China Normal University and is under investigation for his alleged behavior that violated the teachers' code of morality, school authorities said in a bulletin.

Zhang's dismissal came after more than a dozen of his former male students accused him of sexually molesting them, triggering public outcry in the microblogging sphere.

"Zhang, a physics teacher, used to exhibit his immoral behavior to male students, using 'physical examinations' as an excuse. As victims and witnesses, we decided to break our silence," said Niu, a blogger who only gave his surname.

Niu said he graduated from the school in 1997.

"At the time, we were young and chose to keep our mouths shut. But now, as a father, I am concerned that this kind of humiliation could happen to my son," said Li Pinxiang, another blogger in the same batch of graduates as Niu. "We spoke out because we don't want the next generation to suffer."

Zhang, reached by Xinhua, did not confirm or refute the accusations. He said he was "in talks with his former students" on the issue.

It remains unclear how the situation will develop, but legal experts say a lawsuit is not possible because the alleged crimes occurred 15 years ago, exceeding the statute of limitations.