Your Resources

Teacher suspended for familiarity with student

A teacher working in a school as an IT specialist has been charged with serious misconduct after he began having inappropriate conversations with a 13 year old student on Facebook.

The Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal acknowledged that the teacher did not have romantic or sexual feelings for the student. Instead, the teacher sought to help the student after she confided in him that she was being bullied. Despite his honest intentions, the Tribunal stated that it is never acceptable to engage with students in a familiar way.

In order to protect the public and maintain professional standards, the Tribunal ordered that the teacher be censured and have his teaching certificate suspended for one year. The Tribunal held that the teacher must inform any prospective employer of the findings and provide them with a copy of the decision.