Banned: The teacher from St James’ & Ebrington C of E Primary
in Chipping Campden was caught swigging from a bottle in the classroom
A primary school teacher has been indefinitely banned from teaching after turning up to work drunk - and swigging from a bottle in her CLASSROOM.
Jacquelyn
Morris, 41, appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and smelled
of booze on a number of occasions in 2013 and 2014, a conduct panel
heard.
A senior colleague tried to help her, but she denied she
had a problem and continued to appear to be drunk at work and slurring
her words, a report said.
But she was immediately suspended in
December last year when she was spotted in her classroom one morning
drinking out of a bottle in her bag which contained alcohol.
The former deputy head at St James’ & Ebrington C of E Primary in Chipping Campden, Glos., resigned but was hauled in front of a professional conduct hearing.
The panel from the National College for Teaching and Leadership banned Morris from teaching anywhere in England.
The
panel’s judgement read: “On many of these occasions her condition and
demeanour caused other members of staff to be concerned about her
fitness. Classroom booze: Teacher has been banned from teaching after being caught dwigging from a bottle in the classroom
“On 1 December 2014 she was observed in the classroom, in the
morning, to drink out of a bottle in her bag which, on investigation,
was found to contain alcohol.
“That incident led to her suspension from her teaching duties and, ultimately, her resignation from the school.
“Ms
Morris has admitted the allegation and the particulars and accepts that
this is a case of unacceptable professional conduct/conduct that may
bring the profession into disrepute.”
Morris, from Coventry, had
been a teacher at the school since 2001, and had worked as acting deputy
headteacher, assistant headteacher and then deputy headteacher.
But the panel heard that in 2013 she started turning up to work drunk and smelling of booze, and her Cotswolds’ school head teacher tried to help her.
Morris
- who resigned as deputy and went back to being a classroom teacher -
was referred to the occupational health team, but seemed to be in denial
over her drinking, the panel heard.
The panel said her behaviour
was “a serious departure from the personal and professional conduct
elements of the Teacher’s Standards”.
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Teacher banned: The primary teacher was caught swigging from a bottle in the classroom
It added she “breached her position of trust towards her
pupils” and showed behaviour “fundamentally incompatible with being a
teacher.”
The report by the panel, headed by Paul Heathcote,
said: “On numerous occasions over the period of approximately one year
she attended school when she was not fit to do so as a consequence of
having consumed alcohol.
“Her condition caused her colleagues to
be concerned about her and she now accepts that she created a situation
where her young pupils could have been put at risk.”
Morris admitted unacceptable professional conduct which may bring the profession into disrepute.
The
panel issued a prohibition order, banning Morris from teaching anywhere
in England. She will be able to reapply to teach after three years.
The hearing took place last month but the outcome was published this week (Mon).
Morris did not submit any mitigation.
Chapisha Maoni