DAVID FISHWICK ACCRINGTON TEACHER BANNED FOR SEXUALLY CHARGED MESSAGES TO STUDENT

In February 2019, a serious misconduct case involving a science teacher from Accrington has come to light, highlighting disturbing behavior towards a female pupil at St Christopher’s CE High School. David Fishwick, aged 27, who had been employed at the school since September 2015, was found to have engaged in inappropriate and sexually charged communication with a student, leading to his indefinite removal from the teaching profession.

Fishwick’s misconduct was characterized by persistent and invasive messaging that crossed professional boundaries. Over a period spanning March and April 2017, he repeatedly sent the pupil messages that delved into her personal and sexual life, including questions about her sexual experiences and the size of her breasts. His references to the 'iddybittytittycommittee' appeared to be an attempt at humor, but it was part of a pattern of inappropriate remarks. Despite the pupil’s clear requests for him to cease contact, Fishwick continued to email her, demonstrating a blatant disregard for her boundaries.

Among the messages he sent were dismissive comments about condoms, claiming 'Condoms are boring like,' and expressions of personal longing, such as 'wish I could give you a hug without it being weird' and 'I’d love to see you drunk.' These messages, sent from both his school and personal email accounts, revealed a troubling lack of professionalism. The situation escalated when Fishwick expressed love for the pupil in a caring tone and declared his adoration for her, further blurring the lines of appropriate teacher-student interaction.

The pupil responded emotionally, revealing that she was 'crying myself to sleep' after Fishwick told her she was his 'favourite student of all time.' She also expressed her own feelings, calling herself a 'cutie sometimes' and insisting she loved him, even warning that any boys interested in her would have to 'get past me before they can have you.' These exchanges demonstrated a disturbing emotional manipulation and an abuse of trust.

The disciplinary panel, convened by the Teaching Regulation Authority, scrutinized Fishwick’s conduct and found that he had repeatedly attempted to push acceptable conversational boundaries. His references to the 'iddybittytittycommittee' and his sexualized comments about her, including a sexualized dream, were deemed inappropriate and indicative of a pattern of misconduct. The panel concluded that the messages sent during the Easter holiday period were more likely than not to have been sexually motivated.

Alan Meyrick, Chief Executive of the Teaching Regulation Authority, stated that Fishwick exploited the pupil’s vulnerability to foster an emotional dependence, which he then used to attempt to engage her in conversations of a sexual nature. Meyrick emphasized that Fishwick’s actions included advice that could encourage harmful behavior both within and outside the school environment. Despite the severity of his misconduct, Meyrick noted that Fishwick had shown some insight into his actions.

As a result of the disciplinary proceedings, Fishwick has been permanently struck off from the teaching register. However, the panel left open the possibility for him to apply for a review of the ban after five years, provided he can demonstrate that he is fit to return to the classroom. Before any reinstatement, Fishwick will be required to satisfy another panel that he has addressed the issues that led to his suspension and is suitable to work with students again.