A teacher who told year six children that Rosa Parks "did not exist" and that Martin Luther King was guilty of plagiarism has been banned.
Patrick Lawler, 62, was found to have brought the teaching profession into disrepute after making a series of offensive comments.
Witnesses explained to the panel how he had told year six pupils in a transition day lesson that Martin Luther King was a “fraud and had embezzled lots of money”, and that Rosa Parks “did not really exist”.
The matter came to light when a parent complained about the lesson, which was meant to be on medieval history.
Some year nine pupils present in the lesson told a witness that he put up a picture of Martin Luther King towards the end of the lesson, and when asked about him, Mr Lawler told the class that he had “illegally changed his name and fraudulently obtained his doctorate”.
He also spoke about Rosa Parks and told them “the bus seat event was all staged”.
His comments were deemed "inappropriate and unprofessional" by the panel, who said pupils of that age “do not have the ability to explore, test and challenge minority views which are presented in an unbalanced fashion”.
The offensive comments are among several made by Mr Lawler during his time teaching at Bede Academy in Northumberland between 2015 to 2020.
In a series of online newsletters he "authored or co-authored", Mr Lawler said sex between two men was “unnatural, unhealthy, disgusting perversion”.
He also made Islamophobic statements, describing Islam as "demonic" and "satanically inspired".
In or around November 2020 he also told students that the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement stood for ‘Burn, Loot, Murder’.
Another student said in around December 2020, he told pupils that “back in the day you used to be able to get cocaine purer”.
He was subject to disciplinary action in December 2020 after being issued a warning letter the year before and resigned during the course of that investigation.
He went on Monarch Education, where he was also accused of unprofessional behaviour in lessons, including saying that there was no scientific proof of COVID-19.
He was then referred to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) after Bristol’s Local Authority Designated Officer conveyed a strategy meeting in November 2025 about concerns raised about his actions in both his private life and in the classroom.
In December 2025, a TRA panel found him guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and prohibited him from teaching indefinitely.
Chairwoman Louisa Munton said: “These elements are the serious nature of the misconduct found, the absence of evidence of either insight or remorse, and the risk to wellbeing of pupils in the future.”
He can apply for a review after four years.
Unexploded bomb causes severe delays at major train station
Starmer and European allies ‘will not stop defending’ Greenland amid US threat
Birmingham bins strike reaches one-year anniversary
Walkers warned ‘unexploded ordnance’ poses risk in North York Moors
Constance to make statement after probe into possible code breach concludes
Scotland star Gordon McQueen’s ball-heading highlighted at inquest
