Reprimand for lecturer over sexual messages
A COLLEGE lecturer who sent “intimidating” texts to a junior colleague asking her to send photos of her breasts has been allowed to return to teaching.
A professional standards committee found Stephen Barrett’s texts to a recent school leaver who had joined the college were “an isolated incident” as it imposed a reprimand on his teaching registration.
The Education Workforce Council panel found it proved that the Bridgend College lecturer had “displayed intimidating and/or hostile behaviour” towards the junior colleague by sending her texts “of a sexual nature”.
The panel found sending the texts amounted to unacceptable professional conduct, but said painting and decorating lecturer Mr Barrett had apologised and had a previously unblemished record.
During the three-day hearing, parts of the texts Mr Barrett sent to the woman, referred to as “Colleague A”, were read out.
These included his requests that she: “show me your boobs”.
She turned down these requests in a series of replies saying “no”, “no chance” and “are you joking?”.
Mr Barrett, who worked with her at the Pencoed campus, responded: “please, just once and I won’t ask again” and “FFS, cleavage then. Go on mun, you can’t hide what I’ve seen already, it’s not fair”.
On the final day of the virtual hearing on November 9, committee chairman Robert Newsome said the panel accepted Mr Barrett’s claim that he sent the texts over one evening in an isolated incident.
It was said Mr Barrett had shown “insight” in that he admitted sending the texts, accepted his actions were wrong and had apologised to Colleague A.
“The texts of a sexual nature were intimidating and hostile,” said Mr Newsome.
But he added that “this was an isolated incident across one evening”, he had a previously unblemished record and had provided character references that he was a valued teacher and lecturer.
The committee found all the other allegations against Mr Barrett, including making comments of a sexual nature; and/or commentating on the standard of Colleague A’s work in front of learners; and/or encouraging learners to film and/or take pictures of Colleague A while she was on a ladder and making inappropriate and/or offensive comments towards her and/or in front of one or more learner(s) not proved.
It found an allegation that his actions amounted to unacceptable professional conduct proved, but only in relation to sending texts to Colleague A.
Mr Barrett had denied all the allegations, said to have occurred over a period from 2019 to 2022, apart from sending the texts, which he admitted.
The reprimand was imposed on the lecturer’s EWC registration from November 9.
Mr Barrett has the right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days.