To ask for help in how to address this with school?

[pervyteacher]

Dd (18) is in her 2nd year of sixth form. Last year when she was 17, an issue arose with a male teacher whose behaviour was highlighted as inappropriate with female pupils, one of whom was my daughter. He had been taking selfies on their phones and sending them links to inappropriate things on social media (I don't know the details as my daughter wasn't involved in the latter, but he did use her phone to take weird selfies). Anyway, at the time I spoke with the school's safeguarding lead who assured me that they were dealing with it and it was referred to the police. The teacher was not suspended and my daughter told me that, while she still saw him occasionally around the school, he'd been advised by the safeguarding lead in no uncertain terms not to have any contact with her.

Today my daughter called me at work upset, saying she had seen him and he had asked her to "meet him in a classroom for a chat". She made and excuse and scarpered with her friend. Later in one of her classes she said she saw him hanging around outside the door looking in, which she assumed was for her. She later left her lesson and said she got herself out of the school as quickly as possible to avoid him, and came home.

I'm really angry that she's being made to feel this way, and although it doesn't seem he's done anything that constitutes a criminal offence and is clearly still employed, I do not think he should be lurking around my daughter making her feel this way.

Before I call the school with all guns blazing, how would you handle this? AIBU to be angry, or do I need to let my now adult daughter handle this? She's only very recently turned 18 if that's relevant.

@RawBloomers
You're spot on. I have no reassurances that any action was taken and if it was, whether it was adequate, because they can't tell me anything apparently, other than "we are taking action and seeking advice from external agencies". And that the teacher wasn't on site yesterday. That's the extent of what I know.

I suggest getting your Dd to write a timeline of exactly what happened and what was said verbatim in as much detail as possible. You need as much in writing as you can.

Then go and talk to the Head and the safeguarding lead.

I’d be sat in reception waiting to speak to the safe guarding lead and the head first thing on Monday morning. This is totally unacceptable. Your dd must feel safe at school. Awful situation. He must be a complete idiot to act that way around students. How on earth was he not removed?

The school should be referring themselves to the LADO at this point anyway. I would contact them to follow up.

The safeguarding lead is not the right person when it is a concern about another member of staff, a colleague of theirs. It is always the Headteacher. So the fact that that OP was told the DSL is handling it again is not good. I think I would contact the LADO at this stage.

The matter has been investigated by the police and I can't help but think the teacher would have been suspended if any of this had any foundation.
The likelihood is he was told to keep away from her for his own protection.i also feel that this teacher would be teaching during lesson times not snooping round the school searching for and gazing at your dd.
However I do think you should raise your daughter's allegations with the school so they can investigate.

Clearly the teachers behaviour was inappropriate and unprofessional and steps were put in place.

I don't see any 'clearly' about it - what steps were put in place?

I doubt it's a coincidence that he's reappeared now that she's turned 18. What age is the other friend?

Is it an all girls school?

The thing is OP, that the school can only act on things this teacher has actually done or said, and not on other people’s impressions of his intentions or thoughts or motivations - however astute those impressions may be. So in the case, they’re looking at the case of teacher asking a student to come and talk to them - a meeting which didn’t happen because your daughter (sensibly) didn’t go. Obvious as it might be that this teacher is acting inappropriately, in terms of actual actions or speech, very little of any substance occurred. It’s not unusual for a teacher to ask to speak to a student about their work, their behavior in school or things like extra curricular activities. Most of those conversations happen at the end of class or during break times, with the classroom door open so no expectation of any kind of privacy. Conversations that do require privacy should be happening in an office, probably with a 2nd adult in the room or perhaps in an office with glass windows visible to other teachers or staff around. So in this instance the only thing the head teacher can act on is that this teacher asked your daughter to speak to him without being able to explain why a conversation should happen and when he’d already been asked to keep his distance from her. Which is something. But concretely, he might not yet have said or done anything that meets the threshold for being dismissed or struck off as a teacher.

@Bananapancakemaker

Earlier this year he was found to be sending 17 year old female students links to inappropriate sexualised content online, as well as using their phones to take selfies of himself. On that basis he was told not to have contact with those students anymore - one of whom was my daughter. He has then approached my daughter again to ask "for a chat" when he is no longer her teacher and when asked he couldn't identify a reason for that chat.

When you consider that crucial context I'd say he's done something extremely wrong. We aren't just looking at the request for a chat in isolation. If we were, I'd see your point. But you cannot ignore the previous context here.

My daughter has only recently (this month) turned 18. The other girl is still 17. No it's a mixed sex school.

I have no idea why he wasn't removed. It's appalling I agree.

She has written a very clear timeline.

I asked the safeguarding lead whether the LADO has been contacted, she responded "I cannot tell you the specifics of the actions we've taken but rest assured that the appropriate external agencies are involved. Take from that what you will". She also said I wish I could tell you more, but I'm not allowed to. And she added, "I'm a parent myself and I can tell you what I'd be doing in this situation- I'd be contacting the police and LADO directly myself."

That's the gist of the conversation I had.

I’m not saying he hasn’t done anything wrong. His behavior is appalling. I’m only saying the head teacher will be having to follow procedures to the letter and that it’s likely to be quite a frustrating process if his behavior doesn’t cross the line into illegal/definitely against professional codes of conduct, but only skirts right up to it. It not that it makes any of it ok, it just that it makes it harder to sack him/get him banned from teaching.

I would absolutely take that as advice to contact Police and LADO yourself. It might help the school to deal with the issue if the incident has been reported to outside authorities from your side too.

She is indirectly telling you to contact the police and the LADO.
if they already know - well no harm done and they are having the info direct from you.
if they dont ….. well they need to know.

This should have been a referral to professional standards and at least there should have been some sanctions against him. He could have his qualified teacher status suspended or removed if deemed serious enough.

For him to be back in school I wonder if the school actually dealt with the initial incidents properly.

If you dont know there are additional rules over the conduct of teachers and pupils/former pupils even if they are over 18. This is because of the power imbalance and potential for inappropriate influence and control.

This - including going to the council’s LADO. Regardless of how old your daughter is, in a school she is still a child who needs to be safeguarded.

The fact that this teacher cannot see that his behaviour then was inappropriate and cannot see how his behaviour now is inappropriate suggests to me that he is too immature to be in such a position of trust and authority.

One of the Teacher’s Standards is to not bring the profession into disrepute - which he is doing with his actions.

And she added, "I'm a parent myself and I can tell you what I'd be doing in this situation- I'd be contacting the police and LADO directly myself"

She is hinting very strongly that you should do this, if you haven't already.

You need to contact the police and LADO yourself. If it’s duplication of effort so be it.

Absolutely do this!

I'm a teacher and teach Y7 to Y13 and I can't even fathom how he kept his job unless they covered it up when she was Y11 and brushed it under the carpet.

This teacher sounds like an absolute creep. He thought she wanted to talk to him again because she gave him an awkward smile and invited her into a room with just the two of them!?!??? WTAF???

That is as explicit as you will get. By contacting them yourself you will add weight to any complaint already made and if not made, will prevent any a) attempt to sweep it under the carpet/lengthy process where they try to make him go quietly without scandal to do it somewhere else. B) force the timeline along significantly faster

So you have called them, yes? She has told you what to do.

She's right, OP, and that's all there is to it - contact the police and the LADO.

Well done for standing up for your daughter, and for raising her to have such good instincts and the confidence to act on them. <flowers>

Well done for standing up for your daughter, and for raising her to have such good instincts and the confidence to act on them.

🥹thank you that's so lovely x