Teacher banned for agreeing to receive cannabis

A "popular" PE teacher has been banned from his profession for six years after agreeing to receive "a significant volume" of cannabis for a drug dealer.

Joseph Allen, 26, started working at Trinity High School and Sixth Form in Redditch in September 2021.

A professional conduct panel heard he was cautioned by police over the matter in October 2022, but provided a "misleading explanation" to the school.

In a decision taken on 15 January, the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) recommended Allen be banned until 2032, after which he could apply for the prohibition order to be set aside.

During a public hearing over 12 to 13 January, the panel heard Allen initially told his boss he had "done a favour" for someone he knew socially by agreeing to receive a parcel for them, and "had no knowledge of what the parcel would contain".

However, in November 2022, police disclosed Allen had confessed in an interview to agreeing to receive the parcel on behalf of a drug dealer the previous May, and that he knew it would contain cannabis.

Allen resigned his post after admitting to his headteacher he fabricated his account of what had happened, and was referred by the school to the TRA.

The TRA noted the allegations took place outside of the educational setting and there was no evidence to suggest the teacher, who was supported by his mother during the hearing, had ever brought cannabis to school.

In addition, although Allen admitted agreeing to cannabis importation, he denied the crime had taken place, the panel said.

The headteacher told members Allen was a "good teacher", who was "very popular amongst students" and had "lots of good qualities".

He had apologised over his dishonesty, which indicated "a degree of remorse", the panel said.

However, it found his remorse was "limited" and that he had shown an overall lack of insight into the significance of his conduct.

"Whilst Mr Allen had made admissions to the allegations, the panel was of the view that through his oral evidence, he had qualified this in a way that was deflective and did not engage with the seriousness of the conduct," a report stated.

Decision maker David Oatley wrote Allen's "dishonesty" over reporting his conduct to the school and fact he appeared not to accept full responsibility suggested a six-year review period was necessary.

"In my judgement, the lack of insight and full remorse means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils," he said.

"The panel therefore formed the view that Mr Allen's insight needed further development."

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