Part Of The Union

Oh, you won’t get me, I’m part of the Union,
You won’t get me, I’m part of the Union,
You won’t get me, I’m part of the Union,
‘Til the day I die,
‘Til the day I die.

The Strawbs (1973)

Sadly those days have long gone - unlike most professions today, a teacher has no other agency that can provide support. The LEA possess a wealth of expertise in so many fields; law, welfare, human resource - but that is not available to you - without your union support, you are really out in the cold !

I hope that your union can help and provide the support that you need. You must keep control - remember that this is your life - if they get it wrong, it will be a mistake that will last forever.

Understand that this is a partnership, founded on trust, faith and commitment. Make certain that good communication is established and maintained throughout the proceedings.

Realize that you are about to have your career taken - years at university / college and years of experience are about to become worthless.

In my case, that is 30 years of teaching. I still had another 10 years until retirement - £350,000 npv plus enhanced pension - remember that is what is being stolen - and that makes no allowance for the destruction of your health. Your character will be blemished, flawed - CRB records are permanent - even if you are cleared, your records remain - police and CRB - and, worst case - you might face a jail sentence !

My union failed to support me. Their initial response was procedural - they could not offer any advice until I had received and returned forms - rules are rules ! Later they told me that suspension was a neutral act and that I should view it as a paid holiday ! I asked so many questions and received no answers :

“What happens if / when I get arrested ?”
“A solicitor will meet you at the police station.”
“Can I speak to him now ?”
“No, only at the police station.”
“Do you have any literature ?”
“No !”

It was all so matter of fact. “We deal with hundreds of these cases every year.” This is a terrible indictment - it is outrageous that a union should be so complacent that it allows this moral outrage to continue. Worse too when you consider that it is happening to you - do you care and does it help to know that there are hundreds of other teachers in the same position ?

In the end, I was forced to seek support from a firm of solicitors. I was advised to look for firms possessing specialist knowledge of the education systems rather than approach local solicitors. Later, as my case moved towards disciplinary action then I needed legal representation from Employment Law specialists.

I did make two more attempts to gain support from my union - just before my first hearing. This representative made enquiries and recommended that he should be permitted to negotiate severance terms ! That was good - not guilty - but let us all lie down and die !

Be wary of the fact that your union representative will be well known by the LEA and possibly your school. I sensed that the LEA have their ‘favourites’ - in many ways, it is like an ‘old boys’ club and I could picture them as ‘drinking buddies’ - not what you want when your life is on the line !

The second contact was even worse - he trivialized all that I had been through and the actions that I had taken. So, despite the costs, I will be represented by a professional and I feel much easier within myself.

Catch 22

“There was only one catch and that was Catch 22, that specified that a concern for one’s own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn’t, but if he was sane, he had to fly them. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of the clause of Catch 22 and let out a respectful whistle.”

“The enemy, is anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he’s on... And don’t you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live.”

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It is a tragedy that our society places less and less faith in the moral responsibilities and duties of its citizens and an ever increasing reliance in policies and procedures. I look at my reception children and it is hard to appreciate that many of them come from such difficult homes. Many children are unable to relate to one another – they do not know how to laugh and have fun. Other children have been denied love and care – they do not know how special and important they are as individuals.

Over the years, the ever more stringent legislation to ‘protect the child’ has become a barrier that prevents natural interactions of life to be encouraged. Human contact is essential; a hug, holding hands – these reassurances and demonstrations of care, affection and love are vital for the development of the whole person.

False allegations of assault, removes the freedom to touch, to comfort and to reassure. I soon realized that, even if the charges / allegations were dropped, that I could never have the freedom to enjoy and encourage these spontaneous demonstrations of care – the merest touch might be construed as assault – even sexual assault … I ask where is society going ? To deny a suffering, distressed child a warm cuddle – is that not a crime ? What message will they inherit ? - Society does not care – only the rules have any import … little wonder that our society is failing and continues to rebel !

As my children learn and develop, it is amazing to watch their personal skills and regard for one another grow. In my class, we have a teddy, Roxanne; each child is allowed to take Roxanne home with them and they relate visits and experiences that they have shared to the class. In many ways, like the Velveteen Rabbit, Roxanne becomes a ‘real’ member of the class and even wears a school uniform and participates in events - here she is as ‘paramedic bear’. The children find great comfort from Roxanne and are quick to pass her into the arms of a child in distress (or sometimes to a teacher !).

Within a few weeks of my suspension, I realized that life would never be the same – eyes of suspicion would always be present, my confidence is gone and the trust in other colleagues no longer exists. You will never know your enemies for everyone is now a threat. You have to accept that your career, inspirational hopes and new ideas for the future have been taken and destroyed.

I now find that there is a stark reality – the ultimate Catch 22. If I fight to win my case then ultimately I must, by definition, lose. For it is a hollow victory – you can never recover what has been taken and to return to an environment of suspicion and mistrust is not an acceptable option. If I lose my case – then what ? Life must go on – not easy but at least there is a conclusion an end to my suffering and anguish. I worry about personal finances, losing my home and many other related aspects of my life – but remember, for months you have had no control over your destiny – now, even though there will be difficult decisions, at least you are now free to face new challenges and opportunities – there is life after teaching !

Living

Living ? Let me make this plain - you do not live anymore; you survive, day by day !

When I was suspended, my family was recovering from the recent death of my dear father. At the time of his death, I could not conceive of anything worse - but I was wrong !

The British Education System has taken my life and soul. For 5 months, I have survived whilst my life remains on hold - no future plans can be started and there are no pleasures anymore.

We had an October half-term holiday booked in Spain; it was a disaster - I just wanted to be at home. Then Christmas was cancelled; as was a planned New Year break.

There can be no escape, no respite from the prison that now traps you - no matter what you do or where you go, your mind remains full of feelings of bitterness, resentment and anger. The frustration is unbearable - if someone would just listen then they would understand and know that the allegation was false ... but there is no one.

The only advice that I can suggest is to keep busy. On good days, I spend several hours at the gym which does help. There is a joke in my family about me not knowing what the kitchen is for; but I find that cooking has become a good therapy - at least, I am eating healthily !

So do not let anyone ever lead you to believe that suspension is a neutral act - it is a nightmare; a nightmare that will leave scars for the rest of your life !

Health

You will need a good, caring GP to look after you. Teaching is stressful - but this torture is beyond anything imaginable.

For the first few weeks, I could do nothing but cry; I still do. My sleep patterns remain irregular and I often wake up from nightmares - usually a courtroom setting.

Within a couple of weeks, I noticed that I could not recollect words which now causes me to stutter; more pronounced when I am tired. Extreme fatigue is a problem plus nausea for much of the time.

My GP prescribed anti-depressants and tranquillizers. I suffered various side-effects for a while and I now take Sertraline and Diazepam daily. There is no doubt that they work but I now feel, most of the time, that my head is either stuffed with cotton wool or that there is an iron bar stuck through my mind.

Binge eating becomes a problem and my weight has increased as a consequence. I have avoided alcohol - it reacts badly with my medication and resorting to alcohol as a palliative friend would be the end for me.

So you must see your GP - I see mine now about once a fortnight; he is so reassuring and calls me ‘Princess’ !

The rest of your family will be impacted by your situation. My partner, who has taken most of the load for these months, has been forced to start a course of anti-depressants and he is often awake at night.

The Procedural Prison

You must realize that as soon as you have been suspended most communication channels are closed. It will be difficult to talk with your head teacher or any of your colleagues. There is an investigation underway and the last thing that they need is you ‘contaminating the crime scene’ - in my case, the head teacher is more than able to not only contaminate the evidence but he can add to and alter events. Weeks will pass by and no one will tell you what is happening - you might be told that a strategy meeting is scheduled but you never discover what that means or its significance.

I explored all sorts of possible support contacts - there are really only two ... your school and the LEA. You start to realize that no one is there to support you. The LEA will tell you that they are there in a purely advisory capacity for the school. The truth is that they are there to ensure that the policies and procedures are followed and that the Employment Act is obeyed - it is a cold, inhuman process.

Suddenly the light will dawn - you are alone - you have entered the world of the ‘Procedural Prison’ and you are being swept along the various paths of a procedural flowchart where no one will accept accountability nor responsibility for you.

I wrote to the Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP and he said that I was experiencing “the effects of burgeoning bureaucracy and the consequent loss of personal responsibility and ‘common sense’”.

Your very heart will want to explode - you want to tell someone that you are not guilty and to relate your story - but no one wants to know and no one cares anymore. You have to wait until you arrive at the appropriate point in the flowchart - in my case, that is now 5 months !

Anonymous Text

I received this anonymous text in 2003 following a speech that I made to thank the deputy head teacher for all her efforts whilst the head teacher had been on long term sick.

This text had originated from my head teacher.

I never received an apology and his only excuse was :

“I was so completely taken aback and furious that having returned home after the lunch, I sent a text message to her.”

His was an outrageous and cowardly action that served no purpose other than to cause distress - hardly the behaviour of a rational person, let alone someone in a position of authority ! I don’t think that it was my speech that upset him as in his response he added :

“I communicated with my Deputy that I would, as I had in previous years, still like to pay for the last day of term staff lunch - meat and potato pies, desserts and wine ! Imagine my feelings then, when I was informed that, at a staff meeting, some staff preferred to arrange their own buffet instead.”

“To go into school for that buffet was no easy task for me I can assure you. Head teachers have to be thick skinned and resilient but we are human after all, and there are limits to what we can and should be expected to endure.”

(He needs to try living with what I have been forced to suffer !)
(You might believe that these statements are out of context but they are not !)
This incident was the start of several years of intimidation and bullying behaviour ultimately ending in my situation today.

It would be inappropriate for me to comment and close with extracts from his own personal statement from www.friendsreunited.co.uk :

“... kept the same doctor’s note about my asthma from 1st year to Upper 6th in order to escape having to run miles ...”

And at university : “Spent most of the time in games room ...”

Don’t Quit

This blog is much harder to write than I initially thought. So many times, you want to just give up and I know that many teachers in my position do just that - most resign but there have been many suicides over the years.

I thought that I would share a piece of prose that inspires me to keep going :

When things go wrong as they sometimes will.
When the road you’re trudging seem all uphill.
When funds are low and debts are high,
And when you want to smile but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When they might have won had they stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
And you may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,
God’s hidden gift in the clouds of doubt.
You never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Leo Piggott 1931

Arresting Times

“You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”

You have heard this phrase so many times before but this will be the first time that it will have been directed at you.

I was arrested at 10:00, 31 October 2007 at Leyland Police Station - 34 days after my suspension. The time and date of my arrest had been arranged by my solicitor.

The previous week had been traumatic with many disturbed nights and I was not looking forward to the event. On the day, I felt much better; a combination of Diazepam and an acceptance that it could only get better after today. (It did not - but I hoped.)

My partner and I were at the police station at 09:30 and my solicitor arrived a few minutes later. At that time, I was unaware of the details of the accusation. I knew that the allegation was one of smacking but I did not know for certain who it was that I was supposed to have smacked nor who had reported the incident; I had presumed it to be the mother.

At 10:00, I was cautioned. The interviewing DC explained the significance of the caution; it is vital that you relate as much as you can – courts do not like new evidence that appears following an interview as it suggests guilt. She then got me to repeat the caution using my own words.

My solicitor and I were then taken through security doors to the interview room. The DC described the fact that the interview would be recorded using two tapes. She said that, at anytime, I could ask for a break and that the interview was very much under my control.

Her manner was kindly, respectful even sympathetic – a refreshing experience after a month of anguish and isolation.

The interview started at a general level and I talked about myself, my background and family. She then moved onto the day of the alleged assault and I was shocked to hear the details. The incident had been observed by a special needs assistant and not the mother. The alleged smacking had been reported to have taken place at a table in the classroom. The only contact with the child that I could recollect had been earlier in the day when I had to take her hand as she was waving it wildly as she walked around the classroom.

Despite being taken aback, I continued to relate my recollection of that day and its aftermath. I took the view that, as I knew that I had not assaulted anyone, I simply told her everything that I remembered and I let her read my statement that I had made on the day of my suspension.

I found that I relaxed into the interview; this was the first time that I had been allowed to tell someone what had happened that day and the DC was receptive and reassuring. My solicitor played no part in my interview – I looked at him a couple of times and he smiled, indicating that I was presenting my account well.

We even managed a laugh ! The key witness had added a statement that she clearly heard a ‘flesh on flesh’ sound. The DC said that she and her colleagues were impressed with this dramatic description and some funny comments were made.

After a couple of hours, the interview was concluded and my statement was prepared which I later signed and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I was then escorted into another room where my personal information was recorded. My fingerprints were taken – I had expected to end up with black fingers but they use an electronic scanner. Then my DNA was taken – a swab in my mouth – much like they do on CSI. I was then photographed – I had expected to stand against a lined chart holding a number plate but it was just a digital camera snap against a plain wall. Finally they made a written description of my appearance and asked whether I could remember what my original hair colour had been – we laughed !

That was it done – I was given a bail certificate that instructed me that I should return to the police station exactly one month later.

My solicitor and I were then escorted out through the security doors by the DC. She told me not to worry and that she did not expect to see me again but would contact me as soon as she heard any news – she added that this case should never have got this far, adding that it was investigations like this that wasted so much police resource.

My solicitor asked me how I felt about the process. I told him that this was the first time in a month that I had been treated as a human being and, in a strange way, it had been a good experience. He added “I don’t think that you could recommend it to your friends !”

So, after about three and half hours, I left the police station to find my partner patiently waiting.

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My solicitor had warned me about what might happen to me when I was arrested. In addition to my experiences, he told me that I might have to spend time in a prison cell; if there was a lengthy break during my interview then they would have no other option. He also said that I might have been hand cuffed at the moment of my arrest - it depends on local police station policies.

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Over what is now 5 months, the only time that I have been treated with any respect, kindness or care was during my arrest.

I extend my personal thanks to all those officers who were present during my arrest. They made me feel like a real person. Their help, reassurance and genuine concern that they afforded me was beyond anything that I had expected.

Later, I will describe the nature of the procedural prison of the LEA rules and the utter disregard that they cause. The police got it right; I can not think of an organization that has to adhere to tighter or more stringent policies and yet they succeed so well in their treatment of you as an individual.

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Thankfully I did not need to use it !

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Page 3 Girl

Within two days of my suspension, this article appeared in the Lancashire Evening Post (front page) :

According to some articles, it is possible that the LEA might leak these type of stories to the press; so far I do not know who released the story to the press. The first story really hurt me badly, I was shopping with my mother in Preston when I noticed the newspaper - you might have expected that the LEA would have alerted me to the fact that they had spoken with the press ... but remember that no one cares anymore ... so your feelings are irrelevant.

The following week, the Chorley Guardian featured this article :


This one was well coordinated - not only was I in this paper but my head teacher featured in another article commending him on his management style ... how was that orchestrated ? ... and by whom ?

These two articles introduced a new level of misery. I found it difficult to go shopping for fear of who would know me and what they might think. Even after many months, I still can not face the thought of visiting the town centre.

Still, remember the nightmare, paranoia and now agoraphobia plus stress and nervous exhaustion. Apologies ? You must be joking ... remember you are guilty and it is only your first week of suspension !

Prepare For Battle

Even though you will be dazed and stunned by the knowledge that you are now entering the world of a criminal, you need to start planning a course of action.

Your immediate action must be to accurately document everything that you can recollect about the events relating to the timeframe of the allegation. Remember any conversations and draw diagrams. This document will form the basis for your statement; in my case it is my statement. Now sign and date every page in the company of a witness and make sure that they also sign every page. I would recommend providing your representative with a copy; I lodged mine with my solicitor.

You can now take breath and arrange to meet your union representative. I was disappointed by my union who adopted a very matter of fact attitude; telling me that suspension is purely a neutral act. It is far from a neutral act - you are guilty until proven innocent and you will feel dirty and lost. You will not know if the police are involved and that at any stage you might be arrested.

It all takes weeks and, in my case, no one contacted me or helped me to understand the processes that were taking place. I needed a good solicitor to give me the reassurance that there would be someone there who cared. Even though his fees were high, it was worth it just for the comfort of knowing that there was a kind voice in the dark.

I would advise you to keep a journal of each day. It is a constructive distraction and it can help immensely to record events as your case proceeds.

You need to record any telephone calls from your school or LEA. I found that the stress of the situation made it difficult for me to concentrate on the telephone. Even the sound of the telephone ringing made me anxious and I suggest that you request that the school / LEA write to you instead - that way you can add the letters to your files.

Paranoid ? You bet !

... from the film Enemy of the State (1998) :

“It’s not paranoia if they’re really after you”

... and they are after you !

Be Prepared

I was not prepared for what happened - such things only happen to others ! Good advice - ‘be prepared’.

Get a copy of your school’s disciplinary procedures today; read, digest and memorize.

Handling Allegations of Abuse Against Staff

• Remember that at any meeting with your head teacher, you are legally entitled to be accompanied by a friend / colleague / union representative.
  
  
• Learn from your car insurance documents. Admit nothing and say nothing - that is the role of your union representative.

My head teacher denied me any right to be accompanied. He later took advantage of the fact that there was no witness as it enabled him to add words that were never spoken.

Be wary of support from ‘colleagues’ - say nothing and leave site as soon as you are able. My ‘friends’ betrayed me - whilst in hysterics in the car park awaiting my partner, fellow teachers comforted me and at the same time noted my incoherent ramblings that were later used in evidence.

Later, by letter, you will be advised not to make contact with any of your colleagues. This is good advice - at the moment that you are suspended, your friends might betray your confidences.

More of the nightmare ... friendships that might span many years are destroyed. You are alone in the cold !

It Happened To Me

At 13:30 on 27 September 2007, I was taken to the head teacher’s office from my classroom by him. I was alone at this meeting, there was no support, no friend, no colleague or other advisor. He told me that there had been an allegation made against me of child assault and that he could not discuss the matter. The effect of his words threw me into an immediate panic and I could hardly stand. It was only at this point that he suggested calling my partner to help. All that I wanted to do was escape. He then instructed me to collect my belongings and said that someone would contact me.

I was provided with no details of the allegation and my mind struggled to comprehend what was going on and why.

In the end, a colleague came to my assistance and immediately called my partner who collected me from the car park outside school.

When I got home, I could not cope and had to get away. I walked around Chorley for a few hours to try to clear my head. My partner tried in vain to find me and as he drove around Chorley summoned the assistance of two police officers to help him search.

In the evening, my partner encouraged me to start writing a set of notes of all that had happened on the morning of Thursday, 27 and Wednesday, 26 September 2007. It was important for me to be able to recall as much as possible for future reference. These notes later became my statement and have remained unchanged since that evening of Thursday, 27 September 2007. A copy of these notes were lodged with my solicitor.

The nightmare begins ...

It Can Happen To You

An allegation of assault is an ever present danger - it can happen to anyone ! In today’s world all it takes is one false accusation of impropriety or molestation to ruin a teacher's career forever. A misinterpreted glance, an accidental touch or a myriad of other things can easily spin out of control. Once falsely accused the teacher’s career is ruined regardless of the outcome.

The best way to prevent such false accusations is to not allow the opportunity for them to occur. The ‘two deep leadership’ rule is that no adult above the age of 18 will ever be alone with a child. This prevents the uncertainty of any one-on-one contact between an adult and a child. When an allegation comes out of a one-on-one conversation it is at best a no win situation for both parties with no one knowing who to believe. At its worst, the character and liberty of the teacher is placed in jeopardy and the school as a whole gets a black eye.

The best way to prevent such false accusations is to not allow the opportunity for them to occur. In following the concepts of ‘two deep leadership’ there should always be another teacher around to witness the events and provide another unbiased side of the story. With this immediate and unquestionable backup of the teacher’s story, instances of false accusations are greatly reduced.

When you find yourself disciplining or talking to a student in a one-on-one situation consider moving the conversation to somewhere that is public yet private enough to speak with the child. In other situations you may wish to move down the hallway to a position where a neighbouring teacher can see you through their doorway or window. If the conversation must be private see if it is possible to move the entire conversation to a conference room with windows or some other room that is visible by another teacher. Consider creating a simple, school wide hand gesture to inform your co-workers that you have to have a conversation with the student and you would like them to be an uninvolved witness.

Each day brings more and more news reports of teachers being falsely accused of criminal acts against children. Whilst some of these cases may be valid, it is also likely that most of them could have been avoided completely if the teachers had seen fit to guard themselves against the false accusation in the first place.

Sadly the ‘two deep leadership’ rule did not work in my case - quite the reverse !


Warning :

(You can lose contact with your own children if under 16 years)

Life Today

It seems inconceivable that 5 months have now elapsed since that most dreadful of days last September. I look at myself today; I am supported by a diet of medication just to get me through the day - a combination of anti-depressants and tranquilizers. Every aspect of my life and that of my family has been impacted by this most barbaric and inhuman process.

My confidence has gone and I feel permanently dirty and violated. I get anxious when shopping, as Chorley is such a small town and I am well known - I once was well-respected but today, who knows and worse who cares ?

Welcome to the world of a teacher’s worst nightmare !