The sex pest Andrew Green, 59, bragged about his sexual conquests with two women and offered to "help" if the girl had any fantasies, a tribunal heard
Source: The Mirror Date: 04 May 2015
A sex pest teacher put his arm around a terrified sixth former and asked her: “Why don’t you think about things you would do with your favourite maths teacher?” a tribunal heard.
Andrew Green, 59, made a number of inappropriate comments after inviting the teenager for “a one-to-one lesson”, making her feel “scared and beyond uncomfortable”, the hearing was told.
He got between the girl and the classroom door before bragging about his supposed sexual conquests of two adult women and offering to “help her out” if she had any fantasies.
Despite attempting to buy her silence with a gift, she informed another teacher and an investigation was launched.
Green retired after being suspended – but has now been banned from teaching for life over his behaviour at Shelley College in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
A panel said he had “exploited” the girl for his own sexual gratification and presented an on-going risk to pupils.
The professional standards meeting was told he had already been given a written warning about his conduct towards female students.
Be he ignored an instruction not to be alone with any of them and cornered a terrified girl to boast of his sexual conquests of two women.
Green then asked the pupil a series of inappropriate questions with sexual connotations including "Have you got any stories?" and "What about your fantasies?", the hearing was told.
Her added: “Why don’t you think about things you would do with your favourite maths teacher?”
Green swore the girl to secrecy, placed his arms on her shoulder, grabbed her hands and placed them on a classroom table, and touched her hip.
He was employed as a maths teacher at Shelley College, Huddersfield from September 1991 until he retired in July 2014.
Green offered no defence at the Teaching and Leadership Professional Panel hearing which was told he had inappropriately touched the girl more than once.
After realising he had gone too far he emailed his victim, saying: "Sorry about yesterday, I don't know what came over me. I'll buy you a present tomorrow to say SORRY!!!
"And we can concentrate on the maths rather than my stories."
The panel was told Green was warned in a letter from the school in 2003: "At no time are you to have one to one conversations with female students in school, in any area that would be considered private, e.g. classrooms with doors closed."
But in July last year, shortly before he retired, NCTL official Paul Heathcote said: “She referred to feeling scared as a result of the fact that she was on her own in an isolated classroom with Mr Green having an inappropriate conversation.
“She also referred to the fact that Mr Green was standing between her and the door to the classroom and she wondered what he would do if she tried to leave.
“Pupil A confirmed that she did not fully understand the concept of ‘distressed’ but that she did feel upset and ‘beyond uncomfortable’.
“Pupil A confirmed in oral evidence that the incident on 14 July 2014 is still something that she thinks about now.
“Mr Green has shown no insight into his behaviour, passing it off as silly story that he has subsequently regretted.
“In considering whether to recommend a review period the panel have reflected on their finding that Mr Green’s actions were sexually motivated and he has used his professional position to influence/exploit Pupil A.
“As a result of the previous actions of Mr Green and his lack of insight in relation to the current incident, the panel considers there to be an ongoing risk associated with Mr Green and his behaviour.
“Accordingly they recommend that the order should be without the opportunity for Mr Green to apply to have it set aside.
“This means Andrew Green is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, Sixth Form College, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.
“Furthermore, in view of the seriousness of the allegations found proved against him, I have decided that he shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.”
The panel was asked by Green to host the proceedings behind closed doors but refused after his victim said she wanted a public hearing, during which she acted out what Green had done.
Shelley College principal John McNally said if Mr Green had not retired he would have been sacked.
"We treat any such behaviour towards our students with the utmost seriousness and are determined to do all we can we can to provide a safe and secure environment for all our young people,” he added.
"Although Mr Green retired in August 2014 as he had planned, we took the decision to hold a formal disciplinary meeting when the investigation was complete.
"The Principal decided that Mr Green would have been dismissed for his actions and that it was appropriate to inform the vetting and barring panel of the school’s findings.
“Our priority throughout the process was to protect the young person who came forward and to investigate fully and fairly.
"The only comfort we take from this case is that the young lady concerned was confident enough to approach a member of staff almost immediately after the incident had happened and received the best support we could possibly give her”.