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?

purpledaisies
Every time!

I'm sure this is at least the third version of this story I've read in the past few months..

I was young, niave and uncertain about how to deal with a legal system that as a working class person I was unsure of

Anyway. Anyone working with the boss of a slick NY law firm today might be shocked to learn how she did no end of drugs, snogged people's boyfriends, repeatedly banged on doors to get a bed for the night as she'd spent her rent money on booze, and nicked some French cheese from a store because she was broke (again) but fancied some nice cheese. She was my best mate at the time, with a heart the size of a planet but seriously a bit fucked up for a while.

People do stupid shit when they're young. Then, hopefully, they stop, look back and cringe and learn from it.

Forget about it OP. Live your own life according to a decent moral code and don't try to hurt this person.

OP I recognise this story as well. Are you actually the thief, constantly rehashing your guilt? What has caused you to dwell on this so much all these years later?

I was young, niave and uncertain about how to deal with a legal system that as a working class person I was unsure of.

What the heck as your class got to do with it?

You took a bribe. End of.

Class adds a dimension,if ones parent don’t have disposable income to clear the debt
Legal system favours the mc,and discriminates against School.thats well documented

oh fgs everyone has a past, they did something wrong in the past , it got sorted, you were not out of pocket . Live and let live. Half of the teaching population, nurses, doctors, lawyers, shelf stackers etc would be deemed unsuitable if our past from 15 -20 years ago were dragged up.
Example: You're teaching RE in a Catholic school - but you had sex at 15 and i know coz you were my best friend sort of crap- leave it alone. What will it serve to bring it up now? Are you squeaky clean and beyond all moral reproach?

Autocorrect
Class adds a dimension,if ones parent don’t have disposable income to clear the debt
Legal system favours the mc,and discriminates against wc.thats well documented

The OP is educated enough to be a student.

She is trying to say that because she's working class it's ok to take a bribe. It isn't.

Well class is not solely education attainment it’s also accent,demeanour,fit
And that’s how well educated wc folk still get discriminated against

I'm with the OP on this. It is well worth ruining someones career because you accepted a bribe a few years ago and now feel bad about it. Great to salve your guilty conscious and fuck the consequences for someone else who apparently was a bad person 20 years ago but has worked hard to turn their life around

I don't think you should say anything.

Someone I know who teaches Ds Oman out of school activity & also works with kids in a secondary school has a very chequered past. (Someone I met recently delighted in telling me all the details)

I thought about it then thought about what axwinderful teacher he is & what a positive influence he's had on Ds & no doubt his other students lives & decided to never mention it to anyone.

Well I have a lot of dirt on my housemates from uni as they have on me. Telling tales decades later would be a bit like opening Pandora's Box. But a certain MP should be very pleased that I don't out them as a yogurt thief, on multiple occasions!

What happens at university stays at university. I could wreck the careers of several friends but I'm not a bitch, so I won't.

The School won’t be interested, you took a bribe and it’s basically your word against hers.

You would be amazed at the number of teachers who have criminal convictions. They have to declare it on their application forms. Even if this person had a conviction for theft, they may still have been able to be a teacher anyway.

I would have a quiet word with the headteacher, making it clear that I am not asking them to do anything other than bear it in mind in case of future difficulties, so that the person is not given too much benefit of the doubt.

I think that you are not the same person you were 5-10 years ago.
I certainly am not.

Maybe she's very embarrassed about her past. And you want to ruin her career.

uncertain about how to deal with a legal system that as a working class person I was unsure of.

Erm yes, us working class don't know how to ring the police 🤔 such a complicated system guvna

Give the woman a break fgs. You have never done anything dickhead-ish when you were younger?

You want to ruin someones career because of what happened over a decade ago?

You sound adorable.

so that the person is not given too much benefit of the doubt

Fucking hell - she hasn't recently wiped out OP's grannys savings.

She made a mistake, when she was a young adult, which OP gladly took a bribe for instead of reporting.

This was bloody YEARS ago.

If you spoke to the head, they would think you were an absolute dick.

hundreds and hundreds of teachers have criminal convictions. The DBS published a list and count of convictions which were present on DBS certificates with the job title teacher. You can see the list for yourself here:
Teacher convictions DBS click on the link saying 'table'
It's a pretty horrifying list!

You hardly covered yourself in glory by taking a bung to keep your mouth shut OP.

She’s passed a DBS so just leave it alone, your post actually comes across as if you’d relish having a little one to one with the HT where you could tell all about it, but I bet you’d miss the part out about the extra money wouldn’t you?

I personally know teachers who have convictions for assault, theft and breach of the peace.

Some of those are a bit Milford.
Poisoning, incitement of sexual behaviour in an under 13 year old, racially aggravated assault by beating, racial harrassment, wilfully assaulting or neglecting a child.

I think last time I read this story the theif had got a conviction and now couldn't get a job as a teacher. She was quite angry about it I think. It's nice she's sorted all that out now.