Principal involved in 'predatory' conduct with student teacher removed from register of teachers

Ann O'Loughlin

A school principal involved in conduct with a female student teacher, which was “predatory in nature”, has had his name removed from the register of teachers by the High Court.

A Teaching Council disciplinary panel found the conduct of the school principal involved repeated, deliberate boundary violations and an abuse of power.

The findings, it said, reflected a serious abuse of position of trust and authority by a principal over a young student teacher.

The High Court heard that the principal hugged the student teacher, as well as placing his hands inside her jacket, touching her back and waist, and on another occasion said he would like to take her to the theatre and opera and book a hotel room in Dublin.

It was further claimed that the principal had brought the student teacher to his office, told her he liked her, and would like to come to an arrangement or relationship which would benefit her.

None of the parties involved or the school outside Dublin can be identified by order of the court. The student teacher’s complaints referred to events a number of years ago.

Opening the Teaching Council case before the High Court, JP McDowell of Fieldfisher solicitors said a Council Disciplinary Committee panel in March last year after an inquiry found that all five allegations were proven as to fact beyond a reasonable doubt and amounted to professional misconduct.

In October of that year, it was decided to impose the sanction of removing the name of the principal from the register of teachers and he would not be eligible to apply to have it restored for fifteen years.

The Teaching Council panel said the case involved conduct of a most serious nature which included sending an unsolicited and inappropriate invitation to a young student teacher to travel to a funeral, surreptitious physical contact at a school event, followed by an inappropriate late night text.

It also involved “predatory conduct in the school including hugging, locking doors and proposing an arrangement or relationship of a sexual and inappropriate nature.”

There was also it said attempted use of inducements and alleged prior assistance to other women in order to pursue a sexual and inappropriate relationship with a student teacher.

The panel found that only removal with a substantial period of ineligibility would adequately protect the public, maintain confidence in the profession and mark the gravity of the misconduct.

“Given the predatory and coercive elements the exploitation of professional power and the absence of meaningful insight the misconduct which occurred in this case is fundamentally incompatible with the privileges and responsibilities of teaching,” the panel said.

The conduct in in the case it added was at the upper end of the scale and a strong message needed to be sent that the conduct engaged in by the -principal in this case “was absolutely unacceptable.”

It referred to aggravating features including that the events which occurred were frightening and intimidating for a young and quite a vulnerable students teacher.

“There was a significant power imbalance between the principal and the young student teacher. The conduct at issue was predatory in nature.

"This was not an isolated lapse in judgment , rather the conduct involved repeated, deliberate boundary violations and an abuse of power,” the panel said.

The President of the High Court Mr Justice David Barniville made an order confirming the Teaching Council sanction to remove the name of the principal from the register and that he cannot reapply for fifteen years.