Teacher banned due to 'inappropriate comments'

A teacher has been banned from the classroom after making inappropriate comments to pupils, including saying he wanted to push a woman down the stairs and break an individual's neck.

Stephen Lord, 55, worked at the Iceni Academy in Methwold, Norfolk, as a teacher and was head of year eight from September 2023 to March 2024, when his placement was brought to an end.

A Teaching Regulations Agency (TRA) hearing held last month covered allegations between his registration with an agency in March 2023 and March 2024.

The panel found his conduct fell "significantly short" of expectations, he failed to maintain appropriate boundaries with pupils, and he undermined the principles of safer recruitment.

The panel was told that in the same month Lord joined the secondary school, concerns were raised regarding alleged inappropriate comments.

However, this was recorded as a low-level concern.

On 29 February 2024, an allegation was made of further inappropriate comments and from 4 March that year, his placement at the school was brought to an end and he was suspended by the supply agency, Engage Education.

The misconduct panel heard a number of witness statements, including from a pupil who recalled Lord said he wanted to push someone "down the stairs" and "break her neck".

They said other pupils did not ask Lord about his personal life and instead he "just tended to overshare".

Another pupil raised concerns and felt he had been "extremely derogatory".

Lord did not attend the online hearing.

In a statement, he said he was "frequently threatened" with physical violence and sworn at daily by pupils.

He said he would never have felt comfortable discussing his personal life, however, admitted on one occasion "stupidly made an off-colour joke".

The panel said he failed to maintain professional boundaries and discussed personal matters relating to "violent, hostile adult relationships", and exposed pupils to highly inappropriate language and themes.

Lord had been employed by Engage Education and during the registration process said there was something that would show on a DBS check, but did not disclose this - which the panel said showed he acted dishonestly and without integrity.

The panel found that in 2014 he had been suspended pending a full investigation into allegations of gross misconduct subject to a disciplinary hearing in 2015.

It found his conduct involved breaches of responsibilities for keeping children safe in education and took into consideration that he made comments in the presence of pupils, "normalising" domestic violence.

Lord has been prohibited from teaching indefinitely and has the right to appeal the decision.

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