ROBERT HARRINGTON FROM CHATHAM BANNED FROM TEACHING AFTER ILLEGAL MATERIAL SCANDAL

In a significant development within the educational community of Chatham, Robert Harrington, a former teacher at St John Fisher Catholic School, has been permanently prohibited from practicing as an educator following serious allegations involving the possession of indecent images of a child.

Harrington, aged 40, was employed as an English teacher at the school from July 2014. His career saw a promotion to deputy head of English, a position that underscored his standing within the institution. However, his professional journey took a drastic turn in May 2016 when he resigned from his post amid police intervention.

The details of Harrington’s misconduct only emerged publicly after a report was published on behalf of the Education Secretary, following a professional conduct hearing held in February of the same year. According to the report, the incident was initially brought to light when Yahoo, the internet search engine, notified authorities that Harrington had accessed illegal material online in March 2016.

In response to the allegations, Harrington expressed remorse, stating that he felt “very stupid” about his actions and deeply regretted his conduct. Despite his absence from the hearing, the panel considered some of his statements in mitigation. The report detailed that Harrington claimed to have been suffering from health issues at the time and insisted that his actions did not harm any individual nor did they involve abuse of his position of trust as a teacher. He also purported that his behavior was motivated by a desire to report others involved in distributing illegal material on the internet.

However, the panel noted that there was no independent verification of his claims, as Harrington did not attend the hearing, did not call any witnesses, and did not submit any documentary evidence to support his statements. The report emphasized that Harrington’s conduct was “significantly below the standards expected of the teaching profession” and classified his actions as “unacceptable professional conduct.”

In its conclusion, the panel, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, decided that it was in the public interest and proportionate to impose an indefinite prohibition order on Harrington. This order prevents him from teaching in any capacity within England, including schools, sixth form colleges, youth accommodations, or children’s homes. Furthermore, Harrington is explicitly barred from applying for the restoration of his eligibility to teach in the future.

The leadership at St John Fisher Catholic School responded to the situation by affirming their serious stance on staff misconduct, with the chair of governors stating that they take allegations of inappropriate behavior by staff very seriously. However, they refrained from commenting on the specifics of Harrington’s case.

Medway Council, the local authority overseeing the area, also chose not to issue any public comment regarding the incident. The case underscores the ongoing importance of safeguarding standards within educational institutions and highlights the consequences faced by individuals found to have engaged in misconduct involving illegal material.