The Albany Gazette - Former Surbiton Teacher Barred Indefinitely for Sexual Misconduct

A teacher has been banned from the profession after being found to have committed serious sexual misconduct while working at South London and Chichester schools. James Thomas, 34, kissed and touched one pupil and forced another to perform oral sex on him, after meeting them at different schools, a misconduct panel found. The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel in August found Mr Thomas guilty of unacceptable professional conduct, having pursued sexual relationships with children after they turned 16.

He did not engage with the proceedings. In a new report, the panel stated Mr Thomas used his personal phone to message a pupil he had met at another school , while he was a teacher at Shrewsbury House School, in Surbiton , including saying she had "a perfect body" and "if only you were 16 we could have sex". While at the pupil's home, Mr Thomas was found to have kissed her neck and cheek and touched her chest and waist.

In another incident at her home, the panel stated Mr Thomas told the pupil she made him "hard" and looked "sexy", placed her hand on his erect penis, touched her breasts and bottom and kissed her. He also told the pupil she could not wear a dress as he would "rip it off", that her swimming costume was "sexy" and words to the effect that if she really liked him, she would come to his room naked, based on the report. The panel found Mr Thomas asked the pupil to hide their relationship.

The TRA also ruled Mr Thomas had acted flirtatiously towards another pupil while employed at Bedales School, in Hampshire, stared at her breasts, tried to touch her clothes and made sexual innuendoes in her presence. The report stated that when her computer would not work on one occasion and she stated "f*** me that's annoying", Mr Thomas replied "one day hopefully". The panel stated Mr Thomas then pursued a sexual relationship with the pupil once she turned 16.

It found that, after moving to a school in Chichester, Mr Thomas kissed the pupil a number of times and touched her breasts. It stated he forced her to perform oral sex on him three times and tried to have penetrative sex with her. The TRA ruled Mr Thomas touched the pupil between her legs and, in another incident, removed his clothes to join her in the shower uninvited and sexually assaulted her.

The panel stated that while most of the allegations took place outside school, Mr Thomas had "sought to take advantage of his role and privileged access to students to further his own sexual gratification and to pursue a sexual relationship with children after they reached the age of 16". The report added: "Mr Thomas’ conduct was wholly unacceptable in a teacher and represented serious sexual misconduct undertaken for his own sexual gratification and for the development of sexual/sexualised relationships with pupils who were children. "His actions had serious, long-term negative impacts on the children involved, including on their psychological and emotional well-being and their relationships with others." The TRA found Mr Thomas guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.

Decision-maker Stuart Blomfield, acting on behalf of Education Secretary Lucy Powell, banned Mr Thomas from teaching indefinitely. Police investigations into Mr Thomas' conduct with both pupils were dropped.

(D.Lewis--TAG)