The Teaching Regulation Authority has recently convened two hearings concerning the professional conduct of teachers in the UK, resulting in notable outcomes in both cases.

The first case involves Matthew Chown, a 34-year-old physics teacher at Litcham School, near Swaffham, who has been found guilty of inappropriate conduct towards students. Chown, who served as a form tutor since July 2019, has been accused of making inappropriate comments about a girl’s skirt length, sending her sexually suggestive messages, and expressing a desire to “run away” with her. These actions were reported over a span from November 2022 to November 2023.

The situation came to light when the parents of a student, referred to as pupil A, sent a concerned email to the school regarding rumours about Chown. Initially, the school thought these were unfounded, but a subsequent report from staff regarding inappropriate communications led to an internal review. Following an assessment of his emails, which included messages where he referred to pupil A as his “favourite student” and made lewd suggestions about being naked, Chown was suspended from his duties, and the police were informed.

On February 27, during a professional conduct panel, Chown did not attend but later admitted to unacceptable professional conduct. The panel met on the same day to discuss the case and ultimately decided to impose an indefinite ban on him from teaching, with the possibility of applying for its removal after two years. Chown’s employment at the school officially ended on January 10, 2024. However, the police later concluded that no further action would be taken regarding his conduct.

The second case involved Glawdys Leger, a 44-year-old Christian teacher who faced professional conduct allegations arising from remarks made during a religious studies class at Bishop Justus Church of England School in Bromley, South London, in February 2022. Leger told her Year 7 pupils that being LGBT+ is a sin and referred to transgender individuals as “just confused”. This was revealed after a student, advised by her mother to document any perceived “transphobic” comments, reported Leger’s statements, which the mother deemed distressing for her daughter, who was exploring her own identity.

Following the complaints, Leger was suspended in March 2022 and subsequently dismissed two months later. A professional conduct panel determined in December 2023 that her actions constituted unprofessional conduct. Leger contested the panel’s decision in the High Court, arguing that her comments had been taken out of context, that she was not bound to the school’s philosophy on providing a broad education, and that the publication of the findings infringed on her privacy.

However, her challenge was dismissed by Mrs Justice Lang, who maintained that the panel had made a lawful and proportionate decision in publishing their findings. She stated that Leger’s comments had the potential to upset students and had failed to uphold the school’s commitment to a supportive educational environment. Although she is not barred from teaching in the future, Leger expressed concerns that the outcome might hinder her employment prospects.

Both cases underscore significant issues pertaining to teacher conduct and the balance of personal beliefs versus professional responsibilities in educational settings.

Source: Noah Wire Services