A teacher who sent a semi-naked photo of himself to a former student and suggested she would “look good” in a maid’s outfit has been permanently banned from the profession.
Thomas Wilson, 38, a former religious education teacher at St Paul’s Catholic High School in Manchester, was found to have exchanged inappropriate messages with a former pupil after giving her his personal mobile number.
A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel heard Wilson messaged Student A saying: “What would you do if you were here!? Xxx”, before adding: “I was thinking a really great morning f***!! But not if you are too tired!! Xxx.”
The panel also heard the pair exchanged messages in which the subject of a maid’s outfit was raised. Student A said she had joked Wilson would look good wearing one, prompting him to reply that she would “look good” in a maid’s outfit. He admitted this initially but then denied it in his written submissions.
However, the panel concluded there was not enough evidence to prove that exchange took place during the period covered by one of the allegations.
The hearing found that Wilson later sent Student A a photograph showing his naked torso, which the panel described as sexually suggestive. Wilson argued it was intended as a gym “progress photo”, but the explanation was rejected.
The panel also found Wilson had previously exchanged overly familiar messages with another former pupil and sent inappropriate messages and semi-naked photographs to a colleague. It concluded his conduct was sexually motivated, amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and brought the teaching profession into disrepute.
Wilson has now been banned from teaching indefinitely, with no right to apply for the order to be reviewed.
The report says: “The panel noted its earlier finding that Mr Wilson had not demonstrated meaningful insight or remorse for his conduct.
“The panel considered that, whilst Mr Wilson’s conduct in itself amounted to a severe and fundamental breach of his position of trust as a teacher, the potential consequences of his conduct…could have been far more severe, had it not been reported.
“The panel did not find evidence that Mr Wilson properly appreciated this.”
