British Teacher Permanently Barred from Teaching After Rape Conviction

Julie Morris, a former deputy headteacher at St George’s Central Primary School in Tyldesley, near Wigan, has been banned for life from the teaching profession following her conviction for raping a child. The 46-year-old, who also served as the school’s safeguarding lead, engaged in acts of “grave sexual depravity” with her mechanic boyfriend, resulting in her imprisonment.

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) took up Morris’s case following her conviction, convening a panel on February 19 to review the matter. The panel, without Morris’s presence and at her request, deemed her actions “fundamentally incompatible with her being a teacher,” leading to her permanent ban from teaching.

The panel’s report emphasized the severity of Morris’s misconduct, particularly highlighting the contradiction between her role as a safeguarding lead and her involvement in the abuse of a child. It further expressed concerns regarding the risk of Morris repeating her offending behaviour, stressing the deliberate and sustained nature of her actions.

David Oatley, responsible for the decision to bar Morris from teaching, underlined the gravity of the allegations against her, stating that she would not be eligible to seek restoration of her teaching credentials.

Morris’s case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of safeguarding measures within educational institutions and the severe consequences for educators who breach the trust placed in them.