Assistant head sent 'sexually motivated texts' to staff

An assistant headteacher who texted two colleagues saying he "would love to watch them" perform a sex act has been banned from teaching.

Russell Gregory, 46, was working at Clevedon School in north Somerset when he sent a number of sexually motivated messages to three members of staff in 2023, a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) professional conduct panel has found.

Banning him from the classroom, the panel said Gregory had "failed to maintain appropriate professional boundaries" and "brought the profession into disrepute".

Futura Learning, the multi-academy trust which runs the school, said Gregory had not worked for the trust since 2023 and "all allegations of harassment are taken seriously".

Futura Learning also said it investigated concerns "promptly and fairly" and it was "committed to providing a work and learning environment free from harassment and discrimination".

The report said an internal investigation was launched after concerns were first raised to the school by a male staff member in July 2023.

It came after Gregory messaged two of the colleagues in a WhatsApp group, saying "just want you all to myself" while working at the assistant headteacher of ethos and outcomes.

He also messaged a third saying he had been dreaming of her, and making comments about her physical appearance.

The report said some of the colleagues were junior staff members.

The panel found there was an "evident power dynamic" in the WhatsApp group, and said the "volume of the inappropriate and unprofessional messages exchanged" indicated Gregory's conduct was "habitual".

The misconduct panel found his actions had fallen "significantly short" of the standards expected in teaching and he had "demonstrated a flagrant disregard for his role and responsibilities as a senior leader and member of the teaching profession".

It also found Gregory had a "lack of insight and evidence of remediation" and had "yet to demonstrate sufficient remorse".

The report said "Gregory was a senior leader at the school, and the assistant head for ethos and outcomes, and was therefore expected to be a positive role model, and display a high standard of behaviour towards pupils but also to staff."

Gregory was banned from teaching on 16 July, according to the TRA report published on Tuesday.

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