Banned... the ‘Provo Princess’ teacher, 25
A PRIMARY school teacher who glorified the IRA in a series of tweets has agreed to be banned from the classroom.
Anne-marie Clements, who called herself ‘provo princess’, was convicted at paisley Sheriff Court last year of posting ‘grossly offensive’ messages and fined £600.
At the time, the court heard that Clements’ life had been ruined and that she had been sacked from her teaching job.
The 25-year-old, who had been working at St mark’s primary in Barrhead, renfrewshire, has now consented to be struck off the teaching register.
Clements tweeted the messages in November and December 2015.
Last may, the court heard she wrote, ‘Every day’s a rA day,’ together with a picture of a crouched, masked man carrying a rifle. The caption said: ‘When you’re having a republican kind of day.’
Another tweet, posted before Celtic played Dutch side Ajax, said: ‘Come
‘Offensive and obscene’
on Celtic! This is the one. Get intae these Sons of William of Orange b ******* ... ronnie’s Fenian Band.’
in another reference to then Celtic manager ronnie Deila, she wrote: ‘roaming in the gloaming with ronnie’s Fenians.’
in another tweet, accompanied by an image of masked gunmen, she wrote: ‘Am already in this squad but.’
The p7 teacher’s remarks were emailed to her school by another Twitter user.
Her account, which had more than 3,300 followers, has since been deleted. it featured photographs with former Celtic star Anthony Stokes and First minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) yesterday posted a notice of a procedural hearing for removal with consent, scheduled to take place today.
it said she ‘did post material on to the Twitter page... that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character’.
According to the GTCS, the content ‘contained sectarian remarks and remarks and images in support of a terrorist organisation, namely the irish republican Army’.
The notice said she had breached the Communications Act and the offence was ‘aggravated by religious prejudice’.
it concluded: ‘And in respect of the above offence, you were on may 11, 2016 sentenced to a fine of £600.’
Clements could not be contacted for comment yesterday.
in December, secondary school teacher Victoria Amie Orr was handed a ‘reprimand with Consent Order’ by the GTCS after she was found to have posted comments referring to the irA on Twitter.
The teacher, who was employed at park mains High School in renfrewshire at the time, was found to have ‘inappropriate comments’ on her Twitter page and to have made comments referring to pupils as well as references to the terrorist group.
Orr admitted her fitness to teach was impaired and waived her right to a full hearing, accepting the reprimand imposed on her by the teaching watchdog.