Former PE Teacher Banned from Teaching for Alleged Racism and Safeguarding Failures

Strategic Insights -

A 31-year-old former PE teacher, Joshua Adusei, has been banned from teaching indefinitely by the Teaching Regulation Agency due to allegations of racism and repeated safeguarding failures. The incidents allegedly occurred at the Harris Academy Tottenham in north-east London in April 2021. Adusei had encouraged students to sign a Change.org petition calling for the headteacher's resignation, claiming the headteacher had permanently excluded three black students and introduced a behavior policy that disproportionately affected black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) students and students with special educational needs (SEN). The petition received over 6,000 signatures before being ended. Adusei was also accused of making "repeated safeguarding failures," including re-tweeting pupils' comments in support of his position on social media.

Key Takeaways:

  • Joshua Adusei, a 31-year-old former PE teacher, has been banned from teaching indefinitely by the Teaching Regulation Agency for alleged racism and safeguarding failures.
  • Adusei encouraged students to sign a Change.org petition calling for the headteacher's resignation in April 2021, citing alleged racist behavior by the headteacher.
  • The petition claimed the headteacher had permanently excluded three black students and introduced a behavior policy that disproportionately affected BAME and SEN students.
  • Adusei was also accused of making "repeated safeguarding failures," including re-tweeting pupils' comments in support of his position on social media.
  • The panel found Adusei had made "deliberate and pre-determined decisions to publish untrue and/or misleading comments about Colleague A (the headteacher) and then to manipulate the actions of children for his own private purposes."
  • Adusei failed to complete welfare calls to 26 pupils in his tutor group and failed to teach online lessons on two occasions in January 2021.
  • The panel was satisfied that Adusei's behavior "amounted to misconduct of a serious nature which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession."
  • Adusei provided no mitigation to the panel or evidence of material insight or remorse for his actions.
  • Decision maker Sarah Buxcey acted on behalf of the Education Secretary to ban Adusei from teaching indefinitely subject to a five-year review period.

Statistics:

  • Over 6,000 signatures were received on the Change.org petition calling for the headteacher's resignation.
  • 26 pupils in Adusei's tutor group were not completed by him.
  • 2 online lessons were missed by Adusei in January 2021.

Sources:

  • The Guardian
  • PA Archive