‘no hesitation’ | 

Teacher who sent ‘sexualised’ Snapchat messages to girls aged 13 and 14 is struck off

The messages sent by the male teacher to the girls, aged 13 and 14, included describing one girl “as a little ride”

Today at 20:06

A teacher who sent inappropriate messages via Snapchat to teenage girls who were his former pupils has been struck off the teachers’ register by the High Court.

The messages, some of a sexual nature, sent by the male teacher to the girls, aged 13 and 14, included describing one girl “as a little ride”.

The teacher, who is in his early 20s, also sent a photo of himself where part of his bare chest could be seen and which was superimposed with red lips.

High Court President Mr Justice David Barniville said considering the serious nature of the allegations and findings against the teacher and the unanswerable evidence, he saw no good reason not to confirm the decision of the Teaching Council to remove the teacher’s name from the register.

The judge said he had no hesitation in confirming the decision of the Teaching Council, which also asked that the teacher not be allowed to reapply for entry on to the register for the next 15 years.

The name of the teacher, the students, the school and its general geographical location cannot be identified by direction of the High Court.

An inquiry by the Teaching Council last July found the teacher guilty of seven allegations of professional misconduct as well as breaches of the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers.

It ruled that the teacher had engaged in inappropriate contact on Snapchat with six former students at the secondary school where he taught as well as with another girl from the same area.

Counsel for the Teaching Council , Eoghan O’Sullivan BL told the High Court that of the six girls the teacher had taught, three accepted his friend requests and another girl from a different school also did.

The girls were mainly first year students.

The messages were sent on unknown dates between September 2019 and July 2020 when the girls were aged between 13 and 14.

Counsel said the inquiry heard evidence over two days that the teacher had worked as a student teacher and subsequently as a substitute teacher at the school between September and December 2019. After a complaint was made by a parent, the teacher was suspended.

The council’s disciplinary committee he said noted the professional misconduct by the teacher was “towards the upper end of the spectrum” and some of the messages were of a sexual nature.

Counsel said the disciplinary panel said there was a lack of meaningful insight by the teacher but he had at one stage apologised but the panel were far from convinced.

Counsel said it was a very serious sanction which was requested but he asked the court to consider the scale of wrongdoing and the breach of trust in relation to extremely young girls. Counsel said the sanction was proportionate.