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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think this is worrying step forward?

87 replies

User182756 · 04/01/2020 10:02

A teacher has been struck off for being filmed by a student while drunk in public half naked. The video was then posted online. He also abused a paramedic.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/scotland-teacher-fired-underwear-video-pupil-police-facebook-a9267896.html

I'm not the type to get naked and drunk but AIBU to think it is worrying that he hasn't just lost his job but been barred from the profession?

OP posts:
User182756 · 04/01/2020 10:03

YABU - the teacher deserved to be barred

YANBU - the teacher was nowhere near school or in school hours so it shouldn't reflect on his work to this extent.

OP posts:
isabellerossignol · 04/01/2020 10:06

The teacher could have just not done it and then he wouldn't have been struck off. It was entirely his choice to behave in the way he did. The fact that it was a student who filmed it is neither here nor there really.

makingmammaries · 04/01/2020 10:07

Being drunk and half naked in public is probably a public order offence. I’d most likely lose my job for that too. Goes with the terrain in some jobs.

User182756 · 04/01/2020 10:09

It's the idea of never being off the clock for the teacher standards which I find worrying.

I don't agree with the teacher's behaviour...just worried that action in his own time has resulted in not just losing his job but losing his career?

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skidley · 04/01/2020 10:09

My initial thoughts were that this teacher has had a known alcohol problem but hadn't quite done anything that merited him being sacked, so this was a great excuse that his employers could use. Would I have liked him to have taught my kids after this exposure? Probably not but I have no doubt there are worse things teachers do that get covered up/swept under the carpet. This just happened to be posted very publicly. And as such, I'm not sure the teacher would want to go back to teaching at that school.

Singlenotsingle · 04/01/2020 10:10

It's called bringing the profession into disrepute. How can people respect teachers if they behave like that?

Ellmau · 04/01/2020 10:10

It was 8 am on a Wednesday in June, so a school day. news.stv.tv/scotland/drunk-teacher-in-boxers-struck-off-after-being-filmed-by-pupil/?top

A similarish incident saw the teacher banned for 2 years: www.tes.com/news/banned-teacher-who-came-school-drunk

BillHadersNewWife · 04/01/2020 10:12

I think there has to be some level of decency to be entrusted with the education of young minds. This man had a questionable code of conduct...morally. Getting pissed and wandering the streets in your underwear isn't ok.

isabellerossignol · 04/01/2020 10:13

It's the idea of never being off the clock for the teacher standards which I find worrying.

That's the case for most professional or public service jobs. Why would teachers be an exception?

SmileEachDay · 04/01/2020 10:14

It doesn’t say he’s been permanently struck off. He has to “sufficient steps in his recovery to be considered fit to teach" within the next year.”

skidley · 04/01/2020 10:15

I remember our old physics teacher being an alcoholic. Often chaperoned the school discos a bit worse for wear. And his grumpiness was probably hangover induced. As a pupil, we found it amusing that he got pissed, but knew not to cross the line when he was in his mood. But it must have been tolerated by the HT as he was in post for over 30 years and was head of dept. He was an excellent teacher, just liked a drink. But this is over 40 yeArs ago. Its probably a good thing times have changed.

User182756 · 04/01/2020 10:17

Of course I don't think wandering the streets in your underwear is okay. His behaviour was awful.

Worried about the principle really. At the point where you become a nurse do you lose the right to a private life or is it just teaching? If the incident hadn't been seen by a student would it have been

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User182756 · 04/01/2020 10:19

That's the case for most professional or public service jobs. Why would teachers be an exception?

Could you give an example? Interested Smile

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isabellerossignol · 04/01/2020 10:19

Wandering the streets half naked and drunk isn't a private life. It's a very public one, which is very different. If he was drunk and half naked in his own home you'd have a point but he was in the street.

NeverTwerkNaked · 04/01/2020 10:21

It's the reality of bring a solicitor too. We could get struck off for conduct in our private lives.

User182756 · 04/01/2020 10:22

He was in public yes...but would that really affect most careers?

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Hefzi · 04/01/2020 10:26

Technically, it can - in my institution, "bringing the University into disrepute" is one of the examples of what constitutes gross misconduct.

In practice, I suspect it would depend on whether you had previously made yourself unpopular (not necessarily through bad work or working practice, but also for things like challenging groupthink publicly etc) as to what they'd actually do.

Coldilox · 04/01/2020 10:28

I’d be sacked for that too - police officer

StrongerThanIThought76 · 04/01/2020 10:28

There's off the clock - having a few beers with your mates and being photographed by students (I've had photos taken of me on a sunny afternoon in a beer garden, kids got told off for it) and off the clock - getting so wankered you're wandering round half naked, abusing paramedics in the morning.

Absolutely right he should have been sacked.

noblegiraffe · 04/01/2020 10:28

Teacher standards. Maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour within and outside school.

I remember on teacher training having a talk about personal conduct by a head who said that if she was at a party and someone got drugs out, she always left because she didn’t want to be part of a ‘Local Headteacher in drugs party shame’ headline which she would be even if it was nothing to do with her.

To think this is worrying step forward?
isabellerossignol · 04/01/2020 10:28

Could you give an example? Interested

Absolutely any profession or job that has a code of conduct that mentions 'bringing the profession into disrepute' expects their members to behave to a certain standard both inside of work and outside of it. It's pretty standard. A criminal conviction of any sort might would often result in the loss of a job and might prevent you applying for another.

Sparklybaublefest · 04/01/2020 10:28

50/50 so far
difficult one,
shows how utterly awful and prying social media is

BIgBagofJelly · 04/01/2020 10:30

I don't have a problem with him being sacked for that. That goes beyond lifestyle choices and privacy into unacceptable behaviour in public.

Sparklybaublefest · 04/01/2020 10:31

Such an invasion of privacy though

isabellerossignol · 04/01/2020 10:33

Such an invasion of privacy though

But it didn't occur in private. It occurred in public.