A teacher, Joshua Sutcliffe, has been prohibited from the teaching profession due to a series of misconduct allegations. The ruling by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) found that Sutcliffe had failed to adhere to basic safeguarding guidelines, which included misgendering transgender students and expressing views against same-sex marriage. These actions, deemed as falling significantly short of the expected standards of behavior for a teacher, resulted in the ban from working in any English school.
Among the violations of misconduct, Sutcliffe was found guilty of expressing his opposition to same-sex marriage when questioned by a student. Furthermore, allegations arose regarding his encouragement of pupils to view “inappropriate” videos concerning masculinity. Particularly concerning was his repeated misgendering of a transgender student in his class.
The incident that ultimately led to Sutcliffe’s suspension in 2017 involved his refusal to use the appropriate pronouns for a trans boy in his class. Following his resignation and subsequent legal action against the school, Sutcliffe appeared on ITV’s This Morning to discuss his dismissal. This public appearance was considered by the TRA as potentially leading to the identification of the student in question.
The misconduct panel also learned that Sutcliffe had a YouTube channel with several videos, some of which were allegedly subscribed to by his pupils. In these videos, he expressed contentious views, including claiming that Muslims have a “false understanding of God” and referring to Muhammad as a “false prophet.” Experts also noted that he encouraged students to “look out for the next video.”
Sutcliffe’s lawyer, Michael Phillips, denied several misconduct allegations, including those related to the YouTube channel, stating that certain comments were taken out of context. However, the TRA’s ruling confirmed that Sutcliffe’s conduct fell significantly short of the expected standards of a teacher.
The prohibition order was issued to maintain public confidence in the teaching profession, according to Alan Meyrick, the decision maker. Andrew Cullen, a representative from the TRA, emphasized that Sutcliffe had prioritized his personal beliefs over the well-being of the student, stating that the teacher had “lost sight of his role.” The case was not about speech censorship but about the failure to separate personal views from professional responsibilities.
In response to the ruling, Sutcliffe focused solely on the misgendering allegations and expressed his belief that affirming children in gender confusion in the classroom could be psychologically damaging. Despite the ban, he refused to apologize for his actions, citing his conscience.
Overall, the decision to ban Sutcliffe from the teaching profession underscores the importance of upholding inclusive practices and safeguarding guidelines within educational institutions, with a particular focus on respecting the rights and well-being of LGBTQ+ students.