Gurpreet Rheel (instructed by the National Education Union) represented a teacher who faced allegations of dishonesty and lack of integrity relating to an incident where a child was mistakenly released from school without an appropriate adult.
Over the course of the two day hearing, the Panel heard arguments raised on behalf of Gurpreet’s client that the investigation conducted by the teacher’s employer (a teacher supply agency) and the school was inchoate which had left the teacher very much in the dark with no chance to formally respond to allegations made against her. The Panel also heard that the school had not been able to show that they had provided the relevant release procedures to the teacher, or provide the teacher with adequate training to be able to carry out her role effectively. Through cross examining the witness called on behalf of the Teaching Regulation Agency, Gurpreet was able to successfully persuade the Panel that the witness was unable to provide a consistent account which could be relied upon. Instead, the Panel considered the evidence and case advanced on behalf of Gurpreet’s client to be credible and accordingly acquitted Gurpreet’s client of unacceptable professional conduct or conduct that brought the profession into disrepute.