Shropshire Star

Predatory Shropshire PE teacher who touched and messaged pupil banned from classrooms

A "predatory" PE teacher from Shropshire who touched a female pupil, made inappropriate comments and sent her messages has been banned from the country's classrooms for life.

Published

A disciplinary panel found David Newton-Badman, 38, who taught in Telford, guilty of sexually motivated unacceptable professional conduct which could bring the teaching profession into disrepute. And they said he had shown insufficient insight or remorse into his behaviour.

The National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) panel which heard the case in Coventry found Newton-Badman guilty of a string of allegations involving two girls.

The ban was imposed on behalf of Education Secretary Justine Greening.

The allegations included an incident in a swimming pool; asking a pupil to kiss him; and touching a female pupil.

The panel's findings say that he taught at the school from September 2002 but was placed on special leave in June 2015 after the allegations against him were made. He resigned in October 2015.

In recommending that he should be struck off for life, the panel's findings say: "The panel has found that Mr Newton-Badman abused his position as a teacher and the trust built up with pupils, to behave in an inappropriate and predatory manner, resulting in him sexually touching Pupil A and persistently sending sexualised messages to pupils.

"The panel do not consider that Mr Newton-Badman has shown sufficient insight or remorse for his actions."

Imposing the ban on behalf of the education secretary, Alan Meyrick, deputy director of the NCTL, said in many cases involving teachers who are disciplined the way is left open for them to seek to have their ban lifted after a set period of time, but in this case he added: "Balancing the lack of insight and remorse with the sexually motivated nature of the behaviours I have decided to agree with the panel. In my view a decision not to allow for a review period is proportionate."

Newton-Badman can mount a High Court challenge.

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