Do I tell the school about this teacher's past?

[Friendoffoxes]

Longtime lurker here. A new teacher has joined my DC's school. It is a secondary and the subject she teaches is not one DC has chosen for options, so won't be teaching DC. I have only seen her on the website, so not come across her yet. Also I am married, so she wouldn't recognise me if she sees school related stuff with my name or DC's name. DH works from home so he does any pick ups if necessary, but DC normally takes the bus. Obviously I go to school stuff like performances, parents evenings, but do not get involved in PTA stuff or helping (dons Mumsnet hard hat)

I was a student with her and shared a house. She ended up stealing a significant amount of money (for a student) from me and two other people and when confronted tried to deny it and then tried to blackmail one of us (said she would tell everybody he had raped her-rubbish) if he would keep quiet about the money she had taken from him, and said the other two of us had agreed the money she had taken was a loan.

While we were dealing with this sh*t it emerged (don't want to go into details, but we started digging a bit) and she got expelled from a school because of bullying when she was younger. Also, her family got a shoplifting charge dropped (independent shop). Anyway, we decided to go to the police. We told her we would, if we didn't get the money back. Next thing we know, her family are on the phone, we have our money back with a nice generous extra added on top, on the condition we don't make any fuss.

We took it, we were young, trying to get on with our lives after graduating, skint.

Obviously she's passed a criminal check, but I'm horrified that she is working in a school. What do I do? do I have a quiet word with the school?

Have you posted about this before?

I'm sure I've read a thread with the same situation, I can't remember the outcome but it's very familiar

After reading the problems you went through I think you should tell the school.

Ellahen

You've been told wrong. Drink driving is a criminal offence. However it may not be a bar to teaching. It's not a requirement if the job to hold a driving licence so at the discretion of the school it may not be a bar to getting a job.

They would be much more concerned about offences if dishonesty or violence which would obviously be an issue.

Even if she had convictions for this stuff it sounds like they would be spent by now

Massive deja vu here. You've posted this before - slightly different details but you have nonetheless.

Carl, I know of a teacher with 2 drunk driving convictions. Apparently, as they are road traffic offences, they are not criminal offences. Well, that's what I've been told.

It's more likely they've been seen as not relevant.

Although a lot of employers forget/ignore it, it's only legal to use the information you get access too on a DBS or Disclosure check in a negative way if the conviction is directly relevant to the job.

where the op gone??

Don't do it. She may not be the same person she was when this happened. Should she really be prevented from doing a job that she presumably likes and is good at? The thing about her being expelled from school for bullying- how did you possibly find that out? It's not exactly a matter of public record so presumably you heard it from someone else.

I did idiotic things when young and would be mortified if someone brought them up with my employer now. Half of the girls in my year used to shoplift makeup from boots 'for fun' for example. A few got caught, many didn't. Imagine if their careers were ruined because someone thought 'once a thief, always a thief'.

YABVU

you have zero proof, you didn't go to the police at the time. Plus you're hardly painting yourself in glory if you went digging up this woman's childhood and accepted a bribe from her parents

Grow up.

It might be an idea to just have a quiet word with the head, and leave it up to the head's discretion.

Telling would be purely malicious at this point. You don't know her, she doesn't know you. Not after all this time.

You also took the hush money ensuring no criminal conviction of any kind over it. You'll just look like a knob if you go running to the teachers with such gossip.

I would imagine the HT has better things to do than pay any attention to unsubstantiated and vindictive gossip.

True, but it is as well to know these things. Heads have a duty of care and I just think it may be as well to be aware.

I did many, many silly things in my younger years doesn't mean I'm not a good teacher, in fact it actually helps given the type of school I work in

You'd hope so, ilovesooty (same name as elsewhere? ) but unfortunately some headteachers might just use it in order to intimidate. A minority, thankfully, but still. Either way, it's a nasty trick. I know two teachers who were forced to resign due to past revelations about drugs emerging, and both times it was erstwhile 'friends' of theirs with an agenda.

Ridiculous to even think about saying anything, she was young. Thank god im not judged on my 16-18 year old self!

But the HT wouldn't know anything.

If you report her, you’ll have to give her family the money back.You can’t have it both ways.

You were wrong to accept it in the first place, but what’s done is done.

How long ago?

I was a complete idiot at 18 but how many of us stole from room mates and then were bailed out by our families? And frankly the OP took the money back yes, but she didn't thieve it in the first place.

Good point fleurjasmine

(Yes the same) 😉

This rings a bell with me. If you’ve not posted this before then I probably know you.

Either way, she has no conviction for it. Let sleeping dogs lie.

Agree with pp - no proof, no point. You had your chance to report to police and you chose not to, so it's too late.

I'm just considering what it says about someone who accepts extra money off her parents after agreeing not to go to the police and then dobbing her in years later. Nice.

Even if she had a criminal record, if it was more than a certain number of years ago then she would not have to disclose something like shoplifting to an employer, as the conviction would be deemed to be "spent".

What are you afraid that she will do at the school?