Teacher in class ban

ATEACHER who sent emails to a pupil which referred to condoms and her chest has been banned from the classroom for at least five years.

David Fishwick, 25, a science teacher at St Christopher’s Church of England High School, in Accrington, was hauled before a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) disciplinary panel.

The hearing found the email exchanges between him and a female pupil were ‘more likely than not sexually motivated’.

And that his behaviour had fallen ‘significantly short of the standards expected of the profession’.

It was said Mr Fishwick continued messaging the girl even after she asked him to stop. Making a decision on behalf of the Education Secretary Damian Hinds, the panel decided to strike Mr Fishwick off indefinitely.

But the way has been left open for him to have the ban lifted after five years if he can satisfy another panel that he is fit to return to the classroom.

It was said Mr Fishwick, who taught at the Queens Road West school from September 2015 until last year, had made ‘ persistent enquiries’ about the girl’s sexual experience.

And he had made repeated references to her chest.

Email exchanges were said to contain phrases including, ‘condoms are boring’, ‘I’d love to see you drunk’, and ‘you were in my dream last night’.

The findings say that Mr Fishwick accepted that the exchanges amounted to unacceptable professional conduct which could bring the teaching profession into disrepute.

Imposing the ban, Alan Meyrick, TRA chief executive, described it as ‘ proportionate and in the public interest’.

He added the panel had considered that what had taken place had been an isolated incident and that Mr Fishwick had shown some insight into what he had done.

Mr Meyrick said: “I consider therefore that a five-year review period is required to satisfy the maintenance of public confidence in the profession.”

Mr Fishwick, who was said to have taken advantage of the girl’s vulnerability, can appeal to the High Court against the panel’s findings and ban.

No one was available from the school for comment as the Observer went to press.