Teacher banned after referring to parents as ‘scrotes, vermin and pond life’

A senior teaching leader has been banned from the profession for two years after making offensive and discriminatory remarks about pupils, parents, colleagues and members of the public.

Lee Hessey, former chief executive of the Forge Academy Trust in Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, referred to some parents as “scrotes, vermin and pond life” and later described those who had complained about him as “low-life.”

A Teaching Regulation Agency hearing was also told that Hessey said a pupil had “p**sed themselves,” claimed he had “proper rattled” a child and sent messages celebrating pupils leaving the school, including saying he wanted “another three casualties by the end of the week.” The hearing heard that he told a colleague he had a list of five children he wanted to “get rid of.”

Hessey was chief executive of the Forge Academy Trust, which operates schools in Newark and Ollerton, when the comments were made. Following a review by Marc Cavey on behalf of Education Secretary Lucy Powell, Hessey was made subject to a prohibition order preventing him from teaching in England.

The decision went further than the recommendation of the TRA panel, which had concluded that publication of its findings would be a sufficient sanction. “It is clear to me that Mr Hessey has made a valuable contribution to the teaching profession,” Cavey’s report said.

“However, it is also my judgment that such behaviour as has been found by the panel being committed by such a senior and experienced figure is likely to magnify its serious and very negative impact on the standing of the teaching profession and the public’s confidence in it. I am also mindful of the negative impact that such behaviour may have on more junior members of the profession in terms of the acceptable use of language and particularly when talking about parents and pupils.

“Given the likely serious negative impact of Mr Hessey’s behaviour on the standing of the profession, and the finding that he is still to fully demonstrate an understanding of the impact his language could have on colleagues, parents and pupils, I therefore disagree with the recommendation of the panel that the publication of its findings is a sufficient sanction and consider that a prohibition is a necessary and appropriate measure to uphold confidence in the profession. For these reasons, I have concluded that a prohibition order is proportionate and in the public interest in order to achieve the intended aims of a prohibition order.”

The hearing also considered numerous WhatsApp messages containing racist, homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic and disability-related discriminatory language, as well as offensive comments about colleagues, parents, Ofsted inspectors and members of the public.

The messages included derogatory references to Muslims, Black people, Japanese people and Scottish people, homophobic slurs, offensive remarks about women and transgender people, comments mocking disabilities and abusive references to inspectors and colleagues. Hessey denied being racist or homophobic and said he had gay and Muslim friends.

He joined the Forge Academy Trust as a head teacher in September 2012 and became chief executive in September 2016, overseeing six primary schools, including Sir Donald Bailey Academy in Newark and The Forest View Academy, Parkgate Academy, and Maun Infant and Nursery School in Ollerton. Cavey said the two-year review period took into account both the seriousness of the findings and Hessey’s previous contribution to education.

“I have considered whether a two-year review period reflects the seriousness of the findings, which included the use of racist language, and is a proportionate period to achieve the aim of maintaining public confidence in the profession,” the report said.

“In this case, and having taken account of Mr Hessey’s contribution to the education sector and his developing insight, I am of the view that a two-year review period is sufficient to achieve the aim of maintaining public confidence in the profession.

“This should provide sufficient time for Mr Hessey, should he wish to return to the profession, to take steps to fully develop his insight and remorse and therefore demonstrate that the risk of repetition is negligible.”