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Original poster

Teacher fired for contacting student

37 replies

youveturnedupwelldone · 28/02/2024 21:18

Trying to make sense of this a bit, and I'd be grateful for any insight.

I recently found out that a close and longstanding teacher friend of mine (male) was fired for contacting a student (female, 6th form age) outside the school network - I assume on social media, personal email etc, that detail wasn't shared with me.

I know this is a safeguarding issue, I understand the school had to take action. What I'd like to understand is the likely context, as he was sacked very fast after the incident. I have strong views about this sort of thing, having been a school governor and done all the training, and once my disapproval was sensed the exact details were not forthcoming which make me think there is a lot more to it.

Does anyone have any experience of this and how these sorts of transgressions are treated generally? For instance if it was a quick dismissal is there a likelihood it was sexual in nature, or would the simple fact of contacting the student at all be enough to be dismissed without notice? I assume it was reported to the school which makes me think there was something very off about the communication.

OP posts:
mnahmnah · 28/02/2024 21:19

I would assume the content was highly inappropriate and it wasn’t just about the channel of communication used. I say this as a secondary teacher. You are unlikely to find out the truth. But I would not view this lightly if it were someone I knew.

YesThatsATurdOnTheRug · 28/02/2024 21:20

I'm not a teacher but he can't legally have been fired unless it was inappropriate surely.. unless their contract terms are any contact at all is gross misconduct.

LIZS · 28/02/2024 21:20

If social media policy or contractual boundaries were breached then dismissal for gross misconduct would apply.

mnahmnah · 28/02/2024 21:21

Also - it is usually suspension pending investigation. There is procedure to follow. For such a quick dismissal, it would also suggest incredibly, undeniably inappropriate contact.

losthj · 28/02/2024 21:23

Scotland and rural here but must be inappropriate.

WhatsApp used here, teachers support students. We all know each other which may change things but I would go as far as saying no teacher would be dismissed for saying how are you managing homework via WhatsApp or whatever

OhBeAFineGuyKissMe · 28/02/2024 21:32

They could. Grooming starts with innocuous messages. Help with homework, lending a supporting ear and then slowly develops.

No teacher should ever contact a student except on from the school’s email or a school owned phone/account. If everything is above board why not use the correct channel. Using private WhatsApp is a massive red flag.

ChihuahuasREvil · 28/02/2024 21:34

This isn’t like when we were at school and the sixth form teachers could shag the students without impunity. There are serious consequences now for extra curricular contact, inappropriate or not, it’s just not allowed. The speed of the dismissal however would suggest it wasn’t about the weather.

daisybrown37 · 28/02/2024 21:36

Contact on social media is likely to be against the code of conduct and potential gross misconduct. The fact is was quick was probably that he admitted it and the police/LADO were not involved or were happy for an investigation/disciplinary to take place.

Original poster
youveturnedupwelldone · 28/02/2024 21:40

Thanks for the responses, all confirming what I thought 😔 it's so disappointing to have someone I considered trustworthy do something like this.

I'd already decided not to let him round my secondary age DD anymore just in case, but it's proving tricky to justify my decisions to wider family who consider him to be the victim.

From what's been said I think the police may be involved now I think about it.

OP posts:
AppleKatie · 28/02/2024 21:45

Was he dismissed or did he resign?

it can’t have been good- he would have known it’s not allowed to do this.

if it was inappropriate but unlikely to make the threshold for prosecution he may have been allowed to resign with immediate effect to avoid the investigation.

if it was criminal I would have thought he would be suspended pending criminal investigation which would be more serious but not quick.

Original poster
youveturnedupwelldone · 28/02/2024 21:50

He was definitely dismissed, going on and on about how unfair it was.

It happened over the summer break last year so maybe they could suspend/investigate etc over that hols? He didn't return to the school at all for the new school year.

OP posts:
daisybrown37 · 28/02/2024 21:53

AppleKatie · 28/02/2024 21:45

Was he dismissed or did he resign?

it can’t have been good- he would have known it’s not allowed to do this.

if it was inappropriate but unlikely to make the threshold for prosecution he may have been allowed to resign with immediate effect to avoid the investigation.

if it was criminal I would have thought he would be suspended pending criminal investigation which would be more serious but not quick.

For a safeguarding allegation you can’t resign to avoid the investigation. Schools have an obligation to investigate and make a decision (e.g we would have dismissed if he was still employed) even if the staff member has left. It would then be reported to DBS and TRA.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 28/02/2024 21:55

That would have been either so far beyond acceptable conversation limits that he's actually awaiting a professional standards panel and hasn't told you about it - or it's not the first time (whether with her when younger or anybody else) and he has been told very clearly on more than one occasion that he must not have any private communication with pupils under any circumstances (whether there or at previous schools).

Social media and appropriate boundaries requirements in professional standards, staff handbooks, policies and suchlike are there because some people simply are not safe around children and young people they are in a position of authority over. Or just CYP on the whole.

Most try to wriggle out of it with either an agreement to leave or resign and hope that a bit of supply will result in another school not being as diligent on checking previous employment. The fact that he's been fired suggests that if he wasn't supply already, he's tried to brazen it out and the outcome of the disciplinary + appeal was to dismiss.

In short, your mate (ex mate?) is clearly not fit to be around teenage girls.

Original poster
youveturnedupwelldone · 28/02/2024 22:00

Very much ex mate. He admits he did it, although is being cagey about the exact details/content of communications. but that's enough for me to not take any chances.

This sort of thing has always been a red line for me but I've never had that tested before.

OP posts:
heldinadream · 28/02/2024 22:08

Who is it who's defending him OP? Is he married?

Original poster
youveturnedupwelldone · 28/02/2024 22:51

It's family of mine who are defending him. Aside from the high level " I contacted a student, I got the sack" he's been cagey about the granular details and focussed on telling my family about all the reasons it was so unfair.

Without being too specific and outing, I'd liken his approach to the sort of documentaries where you see someone murdering their partner and then using their work in the community as a food bank volunteer as a defence.

OP posts:
dapsnotplimsolls · 28/02/2024 23:36

If he thinks it's that unfair, he should take it to a tribunal. I bet he won't, though.

Anontocomment · 28/02/2024 23:48

If he's been fired then it has crossed into the 'extremely serious' level of safeguarding issues. Not a teacher but 20+ years working with kids and young people,and just re-done my own safeguarding training for the umpteenth time. And without wanting to be too outing, 2 family members are currently waiting to give evidence for the prosecution in a similar case. In this one, the accused is v v vocal about it all being 'innocent fun' which it unfortunately is not.

I would think that if the messages were enough to get him fired that you are right to keep him well away from your dd.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 29/02/2024 06:48

youveturnedupwelldone · 28/02/2024 22:51

It's family of mine who are defending him. Aside from the high level " I contacted a student, I got the sack" he's been cagey about the granular details and focussed on telling my family about all the reasons it was so unfair.

Without being too specific and outing, I'd liken his approach to the sort of documentaries where you see someone murdering their partner and then using their work in the community as a food bank volunteer as a defence.

Oh, the standard 'I'm a pillar of the community, a well respected man - how could I possibly be suspected of something so terrible as abusing my position to get close to teenagers? It's not my fault they love me, I'm just such a caring, empathetic person...'

Yuk yuk yuk.

ViciousCurrentBun · 29/02/2024 06:58

So he is your friend initially, what members of your family think its ok?

He would be cut off by me 100%.

blackheartsgirl · 29/02/2024 06:59

Not sure if it’s the same teacher but a teacher in my dds school was sacked last year for exactly the same thing. It went to trial and has been splashed all over the local newspapers etc.

There was nothing inappropriate about the messages the court found but obviously he crossed boundaries.

we were all shocked tbh. He was a brilliant teacher .

superplumb · 29/02/2024 08:15

youveturnedupwelldone · 28/02/2024 22:00

Very much ex mate. He admits he did it, although is being cagey about the exact details/content of communications. but that's enough for me to not take any chances.

This sort of thing has always been a red line for me but I've never had that tested before.

He will be cagey. It sounds like grooming to me reading between the lines and prob asking for explicit stuff. To sack straight away there was more too it without a doubt.

rollonretirementfgs · 29/02/2024 09:32

There would never be a reason to contact a student outside of school platforms.... never! Even if there was no other way to contact then it would go through the parents. Very inappropriate and stupid!

UpsideLeft · 29/02/2024 10:13

It's a school policy

So it doesn't matter how innocent the contact was or not

You will get sacked