Julie Morris, the former deputy head teacher at St George’s Central Primary School, was banned from teaching for life due to the gravity of her offenses, which included raping a girl under 13 alongside her boyfriend, David Morris.
Morris, who was the ‘safeguarding lead’ at St George’s Central Primary School in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, met her mechanic boyfriend, David Morris, on the dating website Plenty of Fish in 2016. Their relationship quickly became ‘intensely sexual,’ and they engaged in sick conversations about their fantasies and sexually abusing children, as revealed by around 175,000 pages of chat logs analyzed by Merseyside Police. Between 2018 and 2021, both Morris and David Morris abused the girl on numerous occasions, with David Morris recording the abuse on his mobile phone. The court found that Morris’s offending was ‘deliberate and sustained,’ and there was a ‘real risk’ of reoffending, leading to her permanent ban from teaching.
The decision to ban 46-year-old Julie Morris was made by a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel, which found that Morris’s actions were “fundamentally incompatible with her being a teacher.” The panel’s report highlighted several key reasons for the ban:
Contrary to Teaching Duties: Morris’s conduct was considered to be in direct opposition to the core duties of a teacher, which include a duty of care towards children. Her actions were seen as undermining public confidence in the teaching profession, given the influence teachers have on pupils, parents, and the community.
Safeguarding Lead Role: The fact that Morris held the position of safeguarding lead at her school added to the shock and concern. This role is meant to ensure the welfare and safety of children, making her engagement in abusive activities all the more shocking.
Deliberate and Sustained Offending: The panel found that Morris’s offending was deliberate and sustained, with no evidence that she was acting under duress. This, combined with the real risk of her repeating her offending, led to the decision to ban her from teaching indefinitely.
Public and Child Protection Concerns: The panel concluded that Morris’s actions raised “obvious and significant public and child protection concerns.” This was due to the severity of her offenses, which were at the most serious end of the sexual offending spectrum and had the potential to cause lasting harm to the victim.
This ban means she cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, youth accommodation, or children’s home.
The panel also noted that Morris had ‘engaged’ with the TRA and ‘made full admissions expressing regret for her actions,’ but found that her offending was ‘deliberate and sustained, and there was no evidence that she was acting under duress.’ The panel also highlighted the ‘real risk of Ms. Morris repeating her offending’.
The case has sparked shock and disbelief among parents at the school, who described their “total shock” and expressed concern about the “split personality” of the teacher. The parents also noted that Morris was the Safeguarding Lead at her school, making her offense all the more shocking.
In addition to the criminal charges, Morris was also removed from her role at the school in September 2021 following her conviction and sentence. She was referred to the TRA, which deals with misconduct cases, and a three-person panel was convened to hear her case on February 19, 2024. The panel’s decision to ban Morris from teaching indefinitely was based on the seriousness of the allegations found against her and the potential for reoffending.
Was Julie Morris given any opportunities to rehabilitate or seek reinstatement before being banned?
Julie Morris was not given any opportunities to rehabilitate or seek reinstatement before being banned from teaching for life. The decision to ban her was made by a professional conduct panel convened by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) and was based on the panel’s findings that Morris’s actions were fundamentally incompatible with her being a teacher. The panel found all allegations against Morris proven and concluded that these facts amounted to a relevant conviction. The panel recommended to the Secretary of State that Morris should be the subject of a prohibition order, with no provision for a review period. This recommendation was based on the seriousness of the offenses, the real risk of Morris repeating her offending behavior, and the need to maintain public confidence in the teaching profession.
The decision maker, David Oatley, considered the panel’s comments and the serious nature of the offenses, including the sexual misconduct involving a child, which was directly applicable in this case. The panel noted that Morris’s actions were deliberate and sustained, with no evidence that she was acting under duress. Given these factors, the decision maker concluded that allowing for no review period was necessary to maintain public confidence and was proportionate and in the public interest. This decision meant that Morris was prohibited from teaching indefinitely and could not teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation, or children’s home in England. Furthermore, the decision stated that Morris would not be entitled to apply for restoration of her eligibility to teach.
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