Married school chaplain banned from teaching over illicit relationship with ‘very vulnerable’ student
15 July 2024, 11:25
A married school chaplain who taught at a £17,000 a year private school has been banned from teaching after his illicit relationship with a pupil was exposed.
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Reverend Tom Carson, a religious studies teacher at Exeter School, was found to have "exploited" the 18-year-old while teaching at the school.
The reverend handed in his resignation in September 2021 after he used his position as a teacher to further "his own sexual gratification".
After joining the school in 2015, the reverend began his affair with the student, which continued for a "sustained period".
The Teaching Regulation Agency misconduct panel found that Mr Carson's actions amounted to "serious misconduct" and heard how the teacher had engaged in inappropriate behaviour with Pupil A throughout 2021, outside of school premises.
Interactions between the pair included hugging, holding hands, kissing and touching each other, the panel heard.
At one point, shortly before resigning from the role in 2021, the reverend told Pupil A to delete text messages and emails that would incriminate him.
He also told the student to give an edited version of events during the independent investigation that would follow.
The reverend eventually reported his breach to the school's headteacher, as well as Pupil A's mother.
However, he admitted that his actions brought the teaching profession into disrepute.
The reverend has now been banned from teaching for life and handed 4 years probation by the Holy Order, according to the Diocese of Exeter, for what it calls "not observing professional boundaries" in relation to a young adult in his care.
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The school said it considered the teacher's actions a "serious breach" of its safeguarding policy,
The panel found that Mr Carson "was responsible for a series of failings in relation to his conduct with Pupil A.
"These included serious misconduct with a very vulnerable pupil, in which he exploited Pupil A for his own sexual gratification.
"Mr Carson's actions had a significant harmful impact on Pupil A's life and has continued for a number of years." it concluded.
"Mr Carson's dishonest actions in attempting to conceal the true nature of the relationship went hand in hand with his other exploitative actions with Pupil A."
Mr Carson had previously taught at Mortlake and East Sheen school in south west London before joining Exeter School.
Following the admission of an affair in September 2021, the school sent a letter to more than 900 parents whose pupils were enrolled at the co-educational school.
The letter stated: "It is our current understanding that no criminal offence has been committed.
"The breach appears to have been isolated to a single pupil who left the school after completing their A level studies.
"We are continuing to support the former pupil; their wellbeing and that of their family is our greatest concern."
It added there was no evidence of a "wider-spread issue" involving repeated behaviour towards other students.
