Teacher banned from classroom after offering to sell sex and posing in his pants in raunchy pics online
A PRIMARY school teacher has been banned from the classroom after he offered to sell sex and posted raunchy pics posing in his pants.
Thomas Heayel, 31, who taught at St Columb Minor Academy, near Newquay, Cornwall, was recently the subject of a Teaching Regulation Agency disciplinary hearing.
He was found to be guilty of posting or allowing to be displayed one or more inappropriate images of himself on the internet between February and July 2020.
The hearing also ruled he had posted, or allowed to be posted, one or more images, messages and/or comments on the internet offering to sell sexual services during the same period.
Mr Heayel, who began working at the school on September 1, 2019, and was dismissed last summer, admitted the allegations and that his actions amounted to unacceptable professional conduct hat may bring the profession into disrepute.
Members of the local authority first raised concerns on July 7, 2021, before he was dismissed on July 23.
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While the disciplinary panel was satisfied Mr Heayel’s conduct fell significantly short of the standards expected it said his actions fell “towards the lower end of sexual misconduct”.
The panel said: “Whilst the panel had regard to the fact that there was no evidence presented that any pupils had seen or accessed the images online, the panel did consider that as a teacher Mr Heayel was likely to be viewed as a role model by pupils.
“The panel noted that whilst the website where Mr Heayel posted the images was restricted, the images could also be accessed via a generic internet search and one image contained Mr Heayel's name.
“Consequently the images were in the public domain enabling any member of the public, or pupil, to have sight of them.
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“The panel therefore concluded Mr Heayel's behaviour would undoubtedly damage the public's perception of the teaching profession and there were public interest factors to consider.”
It also found that public confidence in teaching could be “seriously weakened if conduct, such as that found against Mr Heayel, were not treated with the utmost seriousness when regulating the conduct of the profession.”
While the panel noted Mr Heayel’s remorse it prohibited him from teaching indefinitely.
Positive references had been submitted to the panel but these were only relevant to Mr Heayel’s job application at the school and no new references had been provided since his misconduct.
In conclusion, the panel said there was “little evidence to suggest that Mr Heayel’s contribution to the profession had been either long term or significant.”
The ruling means he cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England.
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He is able to apply for the prohibition order to be set aside on July 5, 2024 - two years from the date of the order.
In order for Mr Heayel to then return to teaching, he must prove to another Teaching Regulation Agency panel that he is fit to do so.
