Teacher who let pupils pose topless and simulate sex act in art project photos banned

A teacher has been sacked and banned from the profession after she let pupils pose topless and simulate a sex act in photographs for an art project.

Emma Wright, who taught at a Northamptonshire school, was found guilty of “unacceptable professional conduct” over the “highly inappropriate” images involving students who were under the age of 16.

The photographs included pupils in their underwear, simulating masturbation and posing with their naked breasts covered only by their hands or with containers of alcohol.

Pupils were also pictured holding cigarettes and smoking, doing offensive hand gestures and “exposing their torso whilst wearing school uniform”.

The photographs were uncovered by another teacher during moderation of the students’ art portfolios, a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel heard.

Mrs Wright told the panel that she had introduced a new artist who did “suggestive pictures” to the pupils.

The 41-year-old claimed she did not expect the students to produce the type of photos found in their portfolios and had told them to “use their arm, face or something”.

She said there were a “number of personal and work related factors that meant that she did not challenge the photographs at the time”.

The panel found the photos of the students “were a safeguarding concern” and were “highly inappropriate”.

It said the “experienced teacher ought to have considered that it was possible for the pupils to perceive the artist’s work as sexual in nature” and “safeguarding steps should have been put in place”.

Teacher had ‘not fully accepted photos were totally inappropriate’

Mrs Wright had allowed the pupils to upload the photographs on school computers using her own personal school account, the panel heard.

The teacher also admitted telling someone she had been suspended in a “clear breach of the instructions given… not to discuss the suspension”, with the panel finding this “amounted to a lack of integrity”.

The panel said it was “mindful that Mrs Wright was an experienced teacher who had been at the school for many years”.

However it added that her actions “amounted to misconduct of a serious nature which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession”.

“In summary, the panel found that Mrs Wright’s conduct amounted to both unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute,” it said.

The panel also determined that Mrs Wright had not fully accepted the photographs of the pupils were “totally inappropriate”.

Alan Meyrick, the TRA’s chief executive, said: “In my judgement, the lack of full insight means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils.”

In the ruling, Mr Meyrick said Mrs Wright is “prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.”

Mrs Wright must wait until 2024 before she can apply for the prohibition order to be set aside, he added.

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