A male secondary school teacher in his 40s has been convicted of writing two grossly offensive letters alleging sexual misconduct by a male colleague.
A male secondary school teacher in his 40s has been convicted of writing two grossly offensive letters alleging sexual misconduct by a male colleague. The teacher received a two-month sentence suspended for two years and 40 hours of community service for the offences.
The teacher was also censured by a fitness-to-practise committee, who decided that he will be retained on the register subject to conditions. These conditions include attending a consultant psychiatrist and counsellor for one year, providing evidence of treatment received from them, and providing written evidence of adherence by him to treatment and treatment advice from them.
The teacher must also provide evidence of completion of a restorative practice course and notify any employer of these conditions until they are complied with. The teacher was convicted in the District Court of two offences, triable on indictment, regarding two grossly offensive letters he posted, approximately two months apart. One was sent to a Garda station close to the secondary school where he worked and the other to the school's principal.
The letters alleged that the PE teacher was looking at pictures of naked girls on his phone while in class, taking photos of students during class, and calling them names. The PE teacher denied the allegations outright and the inquiry heard that the teacher claimed that at the time he sent the letters he was having a very challenging time in school and that there were a number of issues in his personal life he was also dealing with.
The inquiry also heard the basis for the allegations in the letters were remarks that the teacher claimed he heard students making, on two occasions, regarding his colleague. The teacher's advocate submitted that the case did not warrant a removal from the register considering the sustained mental health treatment that the teacher has undergone and the convergence of events, both professional and personal, which led to 'an acute stress reaction', before the letters were sent and which was identified in a report by a consultant psychiatrist.
The advocate noted that the committee in a previous case said that save for the mitigating circumstances, including that the teacher had an addiction, that the case would have justified removal from the register. The advocate said there were similar mitigating factors present in his client's case which he said did not merit removal
Teacher Convicted Grossly Offensive Letters Sexual Misconduct Education
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