A teacher from the North East of England (represented by Cornwall Street’s Jonathan Storey) has today been acquitted of serious misconduct by a professional conduct panel convened by the Teaching Regulation Agency.
Jonathan’s client was charged with using excessive force against a vulnerable Year 7 student who he was said to have pulled backwards and to the floor before causing him to fall to the ground a second time by sweeping his leg from underneath him. Although four live witnesses were called, the TRA relied primarily on CCTV evidence which clearly showed much of the conduct alleged, but not its antecedent circumstances.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the panel announced its decision that, while some of the conduct alleged by the TRA was proved (by the teacher’s own admission), it did not – in all the circumstances – involve the application of excessive force and so did not amount to unacceptable professional conduct or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.
Jonathan was instructed by Lynne Hardy, Regional Solicitor (Northern Region) at the National Education Union.