ALEXANDER DAY BANNED FROM TEACHING IN NOTTINGHAM AFTER INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIP WITH PUPIL
In July 2019, a serious misconduct case was brought against Alexander Day, a teacher at Nottingham Girls' High School, leading to his suspension from the teaching profession for a minimum of five years.The case centered around allegations that Mr.
Day engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a pupil, which was thoroughly examined during a misconduct hearing conducted by the Teaching Regulation Agency.
Alexander Day, aged 29 at the time, had been employed as an English and psychology teacher at the independent girls' school since September 2017.
The allegations surfaced when, in May 2018, the school's head was informed that Mr.
Day had been seen in the company of the pupil outside of school premises.
The identity and age of the pupil were not disclosed during the proceedings, but the evidence indicated a pattern of communication and meetings that raised serious concerns.
According to the findings of the panel, Mr.
Day and the pupil had exchanged a significant number of emails starting from January 2018.
While the emails were not explicitly sexual in content, the panel noted that the volume, tone, and frequency of these communications suggested an underlying sexual current.
The report stated, "Whilst the emails were not of an overtly sexual nature, the panel considered that the volume, content and intensity of the emails demonstrated an intention to progress towards a sexual relationship." Further investigations revealed that the pair had been seen together on a bus, and the pupil's witness statement indicated she had met Mr.
Day in several Nottingham bars.
These social interactions outside of school hours added to the concerns about the nature of their relationship.
However, the panel clarified that there was no concrete evidence to support claims that the pair had visited Mr.
Day's flat or that sexual activity had actually occurred.
Ultimately, the panel concluded that Mr.
Day's conduct constituted unacceptable professional behavior.
They found that he had engaged in and developed an inappropriate relationship with the pupil through email exchanges and meetings outside of school, with the conduct being deemed sexually motivated.
As a result, Mr.
Day was issued a prohibition order, which prevents him from teaching in any school, sixth form college, youth accommodation, or children's home across England.
This order is set to be reviewed in five years, in July 2024, at which point Mr.
Day may seek to have it lifted or extended.
