Teacher arrested for attempted murder

[Bottomofthebarrel]

This week a teacher at my DD’s secondary school was arrested for attempted murder. He stabbed a woman in the head and neck in broad daylight, and I believe he was only unsuccessful in killing her because other people intervened. She is in a critical condition in hospital, so he could be looking at a murder charge. This has all been in the news, including the BBC.

This man was teaching my own child until very recently. She was given an after school detention by him for being very slightly late to his lesson, and the detention was just him and her sat in a room. That sends shivers down my spine now. I can’t get the whole thing out of my head.

This must be so disturbing for all the kids at the school. I feel that the school are potentially going to struggle more with behaviour control from now on - this man was employed as one of their role models so I can’t help but feel they’ve lost the moral high ground. Not to mention the effect on those who are in their exam years and are now minus a subject teacher.

How the fuck does someone like that become a teacher? I must say in the last 9 years since my DC started secondary, I’ve come across a few - all of them male - teachers who have got my back up and seem to be definite ‘power tripping know it all’ types, and not particularly bright to boot. There’s another male teacher in another local school who was in the news, having to pay £200,000 damages to his neighbour after a childish bullying campaign which went on for years.

Is this the best we can do? I get teaching isn’t the most attractive profession, but it actually terrifies me that these people are supposed to be guiding and leading our children, sometimes on a one to one basis. My worry is that with the current shortage of teachers, and desperation to fill vacancies, the standards are going to sink even lower.

This isn’t a general teacher bashing thread, there are many truly wonderful ones out there, and I know it’s an incredibly difficult job. Just feeling very shaken by what has happened this week. My DD really didn’t like this man and I assumed it was her being a stroppy teen, now I feel awful for not taking her seriously.

Surprised @MNHQ is still keeping this thread up. For one thing, it's too divisive for anyone to agree on, and it's just triggering nastiness and spite, and now the suspect has been arrested and charged, proceedings are active and reporting restrictions do apply, so it's a legal minefield too.

Schools literally hold records of staff dismissals . There is prison data.
Misconduct hearings are in the public domain.

It's not helpful to suggest schools are full of criminal teachers.

It is also literally not relevant to the awful crime committed by this man.

Segueing off on to things that teachers may -or may not- have done in schools oevr the last 40 or so years isn't productive or relevant.

It strongly suggests people think this man attacked and nearly killed a woman because he was a teacher - and that somehow his colleagues(nay the whole profession) colluded with this.

This is just ridiculous. Of course it's a terrible thing to happen and shocking for everyone else associated with the school, but how in heaven's name could what happened reflect on other teachers at the school? They are individuals, and some are good, some are bad, some will suffer from a mental breakdown at some point perhaps - that's life. Because this incident happened, it doesn't imply that the other teachers shouldn't be treated in the same way as before (and with respect, I'd hope). How does the appalling action of one colleague alter the way others are treated? It makes no sense at all and theories like this could contribute to making a bad situation even worse.

How awful for you, your DD and the rest of the school. And for his victim of course. Most people are fortunate enough not to have a person like this come so close to home, so don't realise quite how shocking and disturbing it is, how it shakes your confidence in who should be trusted, and even (rightly or wrongly) feels like a danger to your child was narrowly averted and brings fear for them to the surface. You will take some time to process this, and part of that is looking for what went wrong, so your questions are understandable. Hopefully, the school will have some support in place.

Forums are able to speak about anything !!! They do not have to follow any such legislation. It’s called democracy

I'd wager that the vast majority of parents pay absolutely no attention to the reasons for staff dismissals, prison data and misconduct hearings.

I also never said schools were "full of criminal teachers" - I said that it's probably more common than we think and most cases never reach the news, you'd have to actively go looking.

I've also said (multiple times) that his profession is completely irrelevant when it comes to what happened. It's horrendous because it's horrendous, not because he's a teacher.

It is a sinister culture of silencing anyone that dares to speak up that reflects the character and moral fibre of the people entrusted to care for the most vulnerable in our society. It is far worse than the attempted murder.

How many attempted murders is it the equivalent of?

A DBS can only show crimes of which a,person has been convicted off ( although I think an enhanced one can have others relevant info on it)
Even if this teacher wss regularly attacking his partner ,if it had never been reported there would be no record or conviction, s.

It suggests a culture rotten to the core, if this thread is anything to go by.

Different take to may posters here.
Along with many decisions that our 'betters' have made on our behalf, without any form of consultation (elimination of safe spaces, concurrent rather than consecutive sentences, crimes against assets aren't serious even if they make vulnerable people afraid to live law-abiding lives, victim-shaming and gaslighting ...) there seems to be an assumption that any person's natural state is one of being useful in society, respectful of others and safe to be let out in public.
If taxpayers and the electorate were given a choice (David Cameron probably has misgivings) would we be happier to take violent and repeat offenders out of society for many decades? Police in London in a rare feat of ingenuity and conscientiousness put a tracker in a bike in an area with lots of CCTV, they caught the gang who had stolen £200,000 of bikes and bike theft dropped by 90%.
Teachers, police officers and medical staff self-select their careers, with assumptions that they feel some vocation or desire to help vulnerable people - to the extent that Wayne Couzens should have been prevented by three police forces from getting a Warrant card (legitimately authorising him to make arrests while on- or off-duty) and carrying a gun. Those in a position to keep him out always gave him the benefit of the doubt.

There were concerns raised about Shipman as well. Another local GP and an undertaker raised concerns about the high number of deaths of Shipman's patients. But the resulting police enquiry was abortive and botched, and so he was free to continue to kill more victims.

I agree with this.
Can we agree

1. NO ONE should commit murder .
2. Those who are in positions of authority/ care are and must be carefully vetted.
3. Sometimes people will slip through the vetting processes
4. It is understandable that a parent would feel upset upon hearing that a teacher who taught her child has been arrested for attempted murder.

There are a number of people who are using this thread to make sweeping generalisations about teachers. It’s unfair and demoralising to read. I’ve been teaching for over thirty years and the vast majority of teachers are committed and hardworking and care about their students. There are wider societal issues that have made teaching a difficult job. Teachers need support
and respect from the parents or it becomes an impossible job.

“Witnessing the op being silenced, shouted down, having her feelings of shock minimised, her child’s exposure to risk dismissed. It is deeply shocking that a braying bunch of teachers should enter the thread on mass and take down the op in the way that they have. “
I agree with this
I’m a teacher and I’m shocked by the reaction of some on here.

Aren’t you dismayed and demoralised by the posts on here demeaning the op, dismissing a violent slaying of an innocent woman by a teacher as mere mental health issues? Saying the job/money/kids drove him to it?

I agree I would feel utterly bereft reading this thread, but not for the same reason as you!

Maybe read up on your media law before posting something that simply isn't true.

I would be seriously shocked, and I think it will shock the kids in the school.

I don't think lippy kids saying well I'm not as bad as him will be tolerated.

There are evil people in every walk of life. Of course we hope they don't come in contact with our kids.

A few years ago in Ireland a school vice principal murdered his wife, their 3 sons then killed himself. That absolutely shook the community. But I don't think it ended up having any reputation damage or lasting behavioural scar on the school. Of course it will always be connected to that school though.

Wait... so now what some posters say on MN, is worse than attempted murder?

"Teachers need support and respect from the parents or it becomes an impossible job."

That's a two way street it works both ways or it won't work. Everyone deserves respect and should be earned not given because you are a teacher. Teachers should not be immune from criticism.

That's really not the case.

I also know of a Doctor who did this. They’re everywhere! It isn’t confined to teachers. Passing a DBS check doesn’t mean you are not a potential criminal it just means you haven’t been caught yet. Unfortunately, some people choose these particular careers or become coaches (gymnastic and football scandals in recent years) to access children. This is why safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Thank you.

I think most of us know the majority of teachers are inspiring, hard working pillars of society - there was no need for them to savage the op, and be so defensive. They could have shown some empathy for the anguish this has caused op and her child, and the entire school. We had a stabbing at a school near us, and everyone pulled together. It’s horrible to read this thread.

I feel so sorry for the op, who was coming on here for support and guidance.

Yes - I am very dismayed by the dismissal of the OP’s post.
Overall- this thread is pretty unpleasant

It’s stayed up! Just like all of the other contentious threads. MN has always prioritised free speech.

i can see why you would want it taken down though. The unbelievable response of the teachers on here is mindblowing.

Can't remember who wrote he wasn't remanded in custody in their attempt to down play this (I think they were also using MH as his defence), but he was remanded in custody. That is clear.

It is also clear the police are saying they are currently treating it as an isolated incident, the investigation is ongoing. So why there are so many teachers on this thread attempting to clear his name whilst the police continue to investigate is just beyond me.

The fact mental health has been mentioned numerous times is his defence is sickening - the vast majority of people who have mental health difficulties do not commit violent crimes.