Teacher struck off for posing as teenager to falsely accuse former headteacher of being a paedophile
Eleri Edwards, 32, pretended to be a 13-year-old girl on Childline ten times
to claim that she was a young pupil sexually abused by the school's head
By Agency: A sacked woman teacher was struck off on
Friday for posing as a 13-year-old girl on Childline ten times to
falsely accuse her former headteacher of being a paedophile.
Vengeful Eleri Edwards, 32, made ten separate false allegations to the
NSPCC-run child protection charity that she was a young pupil sexually
abused by the school's head.
A
disciplinary hearing was told veteran head Tudur Williams was
"devastated" when Edwards made the bogus claims to Childline after she
was dismissed from his school.
Maths teacher Edwards told Childline she was a schoolgirl who had been
"inappropriately touched" by the head in the string of false claims to
the charity website.
Innocent Mr Williams was interviewed by police - but their investigation led to officers believing the report was a hoax.Detectives traced the IP address the reports had been sent from. Edwards was arrested and released with a caution.
Edwards pleaded with the disciplinary panel to allow her continue teaching - saying she blamed her estranged husband for the bogus allegations.
She said: "Teaching has been more than a career for me, its my way of life as well.
"I've no reason to lie. I was a good teacher and I'm honest.
"I apologise to Tudur Williams. He continued to work after the allegations which makes him a credit to his profession," she added.
Presenting officer Miss Louise Price said the hoax allegations were "a serious matter" which could have impacted on both Mr Williams' career and his personal life.
She said: "It was a deliberate act to cause him to suffer anxiety, and her actions showed a lack of regard to the seriousness of abuse to pupils.
"It also showed a lack of regard towards Childline, whose operators could've used the time to help vulnerable children."
A disciplinary hearing was told she pretended to be the 13-year-old pupil at Ysgol Ardudwy school in Harlech, North Wales.
Edwards - who taught under the name of Eleri Roberts - was taken to the General Teaching Council for Wales over her bogus call.
The hearing was told Edwards was employed at a high school 55 miles away at Llanidloes, Powys, when she made the bogus call. She has since left the school
Richard Parry Jones, Chair of the professional conduct committee of the Education Workforce Council, told Edwards she would be struck off as a registered teacher indefinitely after her "serious and deliberate" actions.
Mr Jones said: "The nature of her conduct was too serious to consider a temporary order.
"On an number of occasions she made false allegations against a colleague. It could hav caused significant damage to the colleague's professional career and his personal life.
"She has failed to act with honesty or integrity, and her conduct has breached key principles set out for registered teachers.
"The only sanction which we feel can be justified is a prohibition order."
After the case, Mr Williams said: "She was employed as a mathematics teacher until 2012 but was dismissed from her post.
"She obviously decided to try to take her revenge on me personally.
"What she did was inexcusable and could have had a devastating effect on me personally and my career. "
Mr Williams said: "I am grateful to North Wales Police who investigated the matter thoroughly and were able to bring her to justice."
"It is also very regrettable that she involved and misused Childline, a charity which exists to help real children who have been victims of abuse and other problems."
Source
Thanks to J4MB for the story
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