Married teacher’s secret sex texts to former pupil

AMARRIED teacher who sent thousands of secret sex, drug and alcohol messages to a former student and allowed her to mark school exam papers has been struck off.

Kate McCann also discussed the sex life with her husband, underwear and condoms, and whether other staff members were ‘MILFs’ or ‘DILFs’.

Some of the messages were sent while she was working at the Lancashire school, which has not been named, and the word ‘hummus’ was used as a slang term for sex.

McCann, 40, was reported to the authorities after a complaint was lodged to the school by the parents of the ex-pupil.

A disciplinary hearing into McCann’s misconduct heard how the teacher befriended their daughter, referred to as ‘Individual A’ in a redacted report, over

Facebook. The parents had printed the ‘extremely high volume’ of messages, which amounted to over 900 A4 pages and showed exchanges during July 2017.

McCann, whose maiden name was Smith, said a ‘codependent friendship’ had developed between the two but accepted that the messages were ‘inappropriate’ and resigned.

The teacher, who had been employed by the school since 2001, accepted she had received a ‘Facebook friend request’ from Individual A in June 2017.

The hearing was told that while studying at the school Individual A and had ‘developed a strong relationship with McCann who provided her with support’.

A colleague told the disciplinary panel the relationship ‘was entirely appropriate and helped Individual A when she was suffering personal difficulties’.

One of the messages sent to the pupil during work hours read: “I’m bored now. We’ve got to the part where the middle age women moaning about their bosses”.

Another said: “I’m teaching Year 8 and I have to hold the tears of laughter in”.

The panel heard that other ‘disparaging’ messages were sent, included a discussion of staff members as to whether they were ‘MILFs’ or ‘DILFs’, staff leaving events, other personal relationships of staff and their ‘obsession with sex, marriage relationships’.

On ‘multiple occasions’ there were also ‘clear references to alcohol and drug taking’, the panel heard.

McCann also gave the pupil examination papers to mark because she didn’t have time to do it. In a message she said: “Thanks for marking them, I’ll get some money to you for it.”

The disciplinary panel, sitting at Cheylesmore House, Coventry, said her actions ‘could have serious repercussions for the educational future of those pupils’.

However they said until the incident with the pupil McCann had an ‘exemplary record’ and she ‘admitted and accepted her actions at the earliest opportunity’.

Banning McCann from teaching for five years, decision maker Alan Meyrick said: “In the panel’s view, all of the issues arose from Mrs McCann’s initial gross misjudgement in allowing a friendship to develop with Individual A and, thereafter, treated her as a friend and which appeared to cloud her determination as to what was appropriate, including the marking of examination papers.

“However, as the examinations were internal and would not have had any long-term detrimental effect on a pupil’s education, the panel determined this to be towards the lower end of the seriousness spectrum.

“There was no evidence that Individual A had, in fact, been harmed by Mrs McCann’s actions although a potential risk was present. The panel also noted that the conduct had taken place in a relatively short period of time and only one pupil was directly impacted.

“Mrs McCann’s actions were capable of being remedied. There was no suggestion it was calculated in any manner. The panel noted Mrs McCann’s explanation that her conduct had arisen, in part, due to difficulties that were present in her personal life.”

The ruling means McCann is banned from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

She cannot apply for the order to be set aside until at least January 21, 2025 and the final decision will be made but a future Teaching Regulation Agency panel.

Without a successful application, McCann will be banned from teaching indefinitely.

McCann has 28 days to appeal the decision to the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court.