Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Jessica Walford

Teacher cleared of calling the child of gay parents 'an experiment'

A science teacher at a school in Llanelli has been cleared of calling an Asian pupil Stan and telling another she would be a 40-year-old virgin.

Graham Pike, 54, from  Hendy in Carmarthenshire , was cleared of 14 out of 15 allegations he faced at a fitness to practice hearing in April this year.

Only one of the allegations was found proven and Mr Pike was given a reprimand for unacceptable professional conduct.

Mr Pike, the Head of Chemistry at Coedcae School, who has been a teacher at the school for nearly 20 years, faced the Education Workforce Council (EWC) tribunal in April after allegedly making comments of a "racial, homophobic or sexual nature" to pupils that he taught.

Mr Pike was the former head of Chemistry at Coedcae School (Wales News Service)

Several of the 15 alleged incidents were said to have been "inappropriate" - and nine were said to be "sexually motivated".

They included allegedly calling an Asian pupil "Stan" as he couldn't pronounce his name, calling a student who had a parent who was gay "an experiment" and saying a pupil, who was conscious about her weight, that she would break a stool if she sat on it.

The EWC panel only found one allegation proven against Mr Pike - the in December 2016.

Pupil A, a Year 10 pupil at the time, claimed on December 1, 2016 that Mr Pike said to her: "[Pupil A], why are you lunging towards me? There is no mistletoe here."

She said it made her feel "uncomfortable and creeped out".

The EWC found that the allegation of unacceptable professional conduct was proven against Mr Pike, adding the conduct was "inappropriate".

A reprimand was imposed of Mr Pike for two years.

In the decision summary, the EWC said: "As such, Mr Pike will be able to work as a registered person (school teacher) in a maintained school or non-maintained special school in Wales for the period of the Reprimand.

"Mr Pike has the right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.