To think this is worrying step forward?

[User182756]

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?

Teachers are always scrutinised outside of work. I don't even share funny memes or stories if they have swearing in them on Facebook because I feel like I have to be squeaky clean all the time. This guy is ridiculous. Not fit to teach

I’d want to know what he was actually doing in the streets?

If he was in his boxers and trainers, he’s not actually dressed that differently to being out on a boiling summer day in shorts/trainers or flipflops. In the street? On the beach? In a park with his top off at a festival? Was he actually exposing more flesh than any of these more acceptable things? Is it just because it was boxers not shorts?

If he was screaming down the street, staggering into old ladies and humping lamp posts, that’s probably different. I have seen teacher friends pretty lairy walking home from the pub before-being quite loud and giggly and one walked into a lamppost! I would hope they wouldn’t be sacked.

Abusing a paramedic so badly you get a police caution which you don’t then disclose to your employed is clearly serious.

The article says he breached the teachers' code of conduct in 6 separate ways, so this is not just for being drunk in public in his underwear. Other reasons for him being sacked include failing to disclose the criminal charge for abusing a paramedic, which later resulted in a conviction. There are a few professions which are incompatible with criminal convictions.

The references to a high risk of a similar incident happening again and not being able to demonstrate taking sufficient steps in his recovery, suggest that the teacher has an alcohol problem, which may well be impinging on his professional performance in other ways. And while he continues to have an alcohol problem without adequately addressing it, he will be considered unfit to teach.

Yes, the area in which I am currently qualifying would consider this bringing the profession into disrepute. CCJs and bankruptcy would also cause problems.

And this isn’t his private life, he committed a crime in public.

Hmm it's a difficult one. I think if you are off duty then the majority of stuff should not impact upon your career; obviously there are exceptions to this. Being drunk in public should have no bearing. The boxers and trainers - no bearing. But the abusing a paramedic - definitely this should have a bearing.

He was abusing a paramedic, of course he deserves what he got.

I can understand where you're coming from, OP. Are people in such jobs never allowed to let their hair down once in a while. Not to the extremes of the example, but I don't agree you're being unreasonable.

I think teachers should have a code of conduct and there should be serious consequences for breaching them

I also think we should show our teachers how much we value those that adhere to those codes. If we expect professionals to live their entire lives by a strict code of conduct, the least we can do is pay them well and provide support so that they can focus on the valuable job we are entrusting them with

It’s not a career I would currently consider because of the overwhelming pressures and lack of support

Going out, getting drunk, being a bit silly - not a problem.
This was way beyond that.
I’d be struck off as a social worker for behaving in that way.
I hope it’s a wake up call and he realises he has a problem.

He wasn’t struck off because he was filmed. The film was used in his trial and he was convicted of a public order offence and abusing a paramedic, which he then failed to tell the school about (dbs requires this by law). Massively unprofessional.

Surely it wasn't for being drunk though - he was charged with abusing the paramedic and then failed to tell the school.

It’s the same for all professions which have a code of conduct. You cannot bring the profession into disrepute and this extends into your private life..
As a nurse, I shouldn’t go around pissed up on a Friday night getting my baps out. —however I know of a few that have—

This case does not represent the point you seem to wish to make OP.

In many professions he wouldn’t have the year he currently has to get his registration back

He’s only struck off currently. If he sorts himself out he’ll not be struck off permanently

I'd get sacked as well. Easily meets my employer's standard of gross misconduct. Certain behaviours outside the workplace still count.

I really can't think of many professions where you would get away with it...

If he had been filmed drunk at home or at a fetish club or doing something else that doesn't hurt anyone I'd have all the sympathy in the world but he was in public behaving incredibly badly (and actually illegally). Lots of people would suffer professional consequences for that. I also think it's correct that we value our emergency service personnel sufficiently to make a point of punishing people who abuse them. In the same way I'd want a parent in a professional role who assaulted a teacher to suffer severe consequences.

It's entirely appropriate, they have to behave professionally and with conduct that won't show them in a bad light. They should have been more sensible.

For this kind of behaviour in public, both my husband and I would lose our jobs and possibly also permanently struck off our professional register. Lawyers (one private practice, one public service).

Doesn't matter really what the 'crime' is, so to speak - he was found to have broken the code of conduct in six ways, that is why he is in the position he is.

@User182756

Is there a reason you are against these consequences? Is he a colleague of yours?

I wouldn't get sacked for that at my work, but I'm not in a professional career so it's probably different.

I'm on the fence with this.

I'm amazed the vote so far is about even.

I think he's been quite generously dealt with, as he can teach again if he sorts himself out.

My teacher best friend left party after party in her twenties as soon as the weed or E’s came out because she didn’t want to be caught in that scene in her profession.

I suspect people are voting based on what they (and OP) imagine the case to have been about. Not what it was actually about.

If someone wants to challenge the code of conduct teachers agree to, it would probaby work better if a disinterested party took forward the challenge, rather than someone who has already signed up to, then been caught breaking, that code.

\The teacher thing is a red herring