Former head given school ban for groping
AHEADTEACHER who groped female staff members has been banned indefinitely from the profession. A professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation
Agency hearing heard allegations that Michael Stobart, former headteacher of Belmont School in Rawtenstall, groped two colleagues in three separate incidents and that the alleged touchings were unwanted and sexual. Mr Stobart, who was employed as headteacher at the school until April 2017, did not respond to the allegations.
AHEADTEACHER who groped female staff members has been banned indefinitely from the profession.
A professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency hearing heard allegations that Michael Stobart, former headteacher of Belmont School in Rawtenstall, groped two colleagues in three separate incidents and that the alleged touchings were unwanted and sexual.
Mr Stobart, who was employed as headteacher at the Haslingden Road school until April 2017, did not respond to the allegations and waived his right to attend the hearing so they were taken to have not been admitted.
The panel found all the allegations to be proven on the balance of probabilities, and found the behaviour constituted serious misconduct conduct “which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession”.
The alleged incidents of inappropriate touching related to one colleague on October 14, 2016, and a second staff member in two incidents in 2015 and at an unknown later date.
Through a witness statement and oral testimony relating to the first incident, the panel heard Mr Stobart had approached his colleague from behind and proceeded to touch her on the buttocks, and then place his hand between her legs.
In the 2015 incident, which was said to have taken place at an awards assembly on either January 23 or July 1, it was alleged that the headteacher had put his arm around the staff member and squeezed her buttock. The same complainant alleged that some time later he touched her backside in a separate incident.
The panel’s report stated: “In this case, the panel has found all of the allegations proven and found that those proven facts amount to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.”
In his findings Alan Meyrick, taking a decision on behalf of the Secretary of the State, banned Mr Stobart, 61, from teaching for two years, and agreed the recommended two-year review term.
He concluded: “Michael Stobart is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth from colleague, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. He may apply for the prohibition order to be set aside, but not until 15 June 2021, two years from the date of this order at the earliest.”
If he does apply, a panel will meet to consider whether the prohibition order should be set aside.