ROBERT KEITH PERMANENTLY BANNED FROM TEACHING IN DUNSTABLE FOLLOWING SEXUAL INAPPROPRIATENESS

A teacher named Mr. Robert Keith, aged 33, has been permanently prohibited from practicing in the teaching profession after allegations arose that he engaged in a sexually inappropriate relationship with a student while working at All Saints Academy in Dunstable.

The professional conduct panel determined that Mr. Keith's actions violated safeguarding standards and created serious risks to student welfare. Between September 2013 and November 2016, he was involved in misconduct with Pupil A and Pupil B, primarily through social media exchanges and face-to-face interactions.

Evidence presented to the panel revealed that Mr. Keith exchanged sexually explicit messages, notably within a Facebook Messenger group called "Convos with Keith," where he made suggestive remarks and invited one of the pupils to his home. The misconduct progressed to physical touching, with Pupil A testifying that they discussed having sex and planned to do so, supported by screenshots of the conversations.

While Mr. Keith admitted to sending inappropriate messages, he claimed they were meant as jokes. The panel described his conduct as "akin to grooming" and emphasized the emotional harm inflicted upon the pupil.

As a result, Mr. Keith was barred from working in any educational institution in England, with this being a lifetime ban subject to review. He has the right to appeal the decision within 28 days.

The decision underscores the importance of safeguarding pupils and maintaining high ethical standards among educators. The Secretary of State endorsed the panel's recommendation, stating that Mr. Keith demonstrated no remorse or insight, heightening concerns about potential future misconduct.