Teaching leader banned after referring to parents as ‘scrotes, vermin and pond life’

A teaching leader has been banned from the profession after making offensive remarks about students and their parents.

Lee Hessey referred to some parents as ‘scrotes, vermin and pond life’, and later described those who had submitted complaints against him as ‘low-life’.

He also said a pupil had ‘p**sed themselves’, stated he had ‘proper rattled’ a child, and sent messages celebrating pupils leaving the school – including saying he wanted “another three casualties by the end of the week”.

A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) hearing earlier this summer heard he told a colleague he had a list of five children he wanted to ‘get rid of’.

Mr Hessey was chief executive of the Forge Academy Trust – which runs schools in Newark and Ollerton in Nottinghamshire – when he made the comments.

Now, following a review by Marc Cavey on behalf of Education Secretary Lucy Powell, Mr Hessey has been handed a prohibition order preventing him teaching in England.

This comes despite the TRA panel recommending that the publication of its findings would act as a sufficient sanction.

‘It is clear to me that Mr Hessey has made a valuable contribution to the teaching profession,’ Mr Cavey’s report said.

‘However, it is also my judgment that such behaviour as has been found by the panel being committed by such a senior and experienced figure is likely to magnify its serious and very negative impact on the standing of the teaching profession and the public’s confidence in it.

‘I am also mindful of the negative impact that such behaviour may have on more junior members of the profession in terms of the acceptable use of language and particularly when talking about parents and pupils.

‘Given the likely serious negative impact of Mr Hessey’s behaviour on the standing of the profession, and the finding that he is still to fully demonstrate an understanding of the impact his language could have on colleagues, parents and pupils, I therefore disagree with the recommendation of the panel that the publication of its findings is a sufficient sanction and consider that a prohibition is a necessary and appropriate measure to uphold confidence in the profession.

‘For these reasons, I have concluded that a prohibition order is proportionate and in the public interest in order to achieve the intended aims of a prohibition order.’

Many of Mr Hessey’s WhatsApp messages discussed during the hearing contained racist, homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic and disability-related discriminatory language, while others contained offensive comments about colleagues, parents, inspectors and members of the public.

These included derogatory references towards Muslims, black people, Japanese people and Scottish people, homophobic slurs, offensive comments about women and transgender people, messages mocking disabilities, abusive comments about Ofsted inspectors, and negative comments about colleagues.

He denied being racist or homophobic by stating he has gay and Muslim friends.

Mr Hessey started his employment at the Forge Academy Trust as a head teacher in September 2012, and in September 2016 he became its chief executive, responsible for managing six primary schools – including Sir Donald Bailey Academy in Newark, as well as The Forest View Academy, Parkgate Academy, and Maun Infant and Nursery School in Ollerton.

‘I have considered whether a two-year review period reflects the seriousness of the findings, which included the use of racist language, and is a proportionate period to achieve the aim of maintaining public confidence in the profession,’ Mr Cavey’s report added.

‘In this case, and having taken account of Mr Hessey’s contribution to the education sector and his developing insight, I am of the view that a two-year review period is sufficient to achieve the aim of maintaining public confidence in the profession.

‘This should provide sufficient time for Mr Hessey, should he wish to return to the profession, to take steps to fully develop his insight and remorse and therefore demonstrate that the risk of repetition is negligible.’

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