RUSSELL CROSS BANNED FOR LIFE AFTER SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AT BUCKINGHAM SCHOOL

In August 2012, a teacher named Russell Cross faced severe disciplinary action following allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct while working at Merebrook Infants School in Furzton. The incident, which took place between December 2007 and May 2008, involved Mr Cross performing a sexual act in a PE cupboard located within the school premises, mere inches away from students. The act was carried out in the presence of a colleague, learning assistant Julia Massey, and there was concern that a child could have witnessed the misconduct.

Following an investigation, the Department for Education’s Professional Conduct Panel found Mr Cross guilty of serious breaches of conduct. As a result, he was handed a lifetime ban from teaching in England, effectively prohibiting him from working in any school, Sixth Form College, youth accommodation, or children’s home within the country. The panel also clarified that Mr Cross could not apply for the restoration of his teaching eligibility in the future.

Initially, Mr Cross denied the allegations, asserting that his marriage made the accusations unlikely. However, he later admitted to the misconduct. The panel noted that it was not definitively proven whether Ms Massey, the learning assistant present during the incident, was an active participant or merely a witness to Mr Cross performing a sexual act on himself. Additionally, Mr Cross admitted to touching Ms Massey on her bottom, but claimed this occurred after she had slapped him.

The disciplinary panel described the touching as ‘sexually motivated’ and highlighted that Mr Cross had made at least one comment containing sexual innuendo while carrying a bag of balls from the PE cupboard. Despite Mr Cross being cleared of criminal charges, the panel rejected his version of events and deemed the incident in the PE cupboard with Ms Massey as an isolated event.

Furthermore, the panel found Ms Massey’s account of other inappropriate behaviors by Mr Cross to be credible. These included instances where he allegedly tweaked her bra, grabbed her from under a bench by her trousers, rubbed her back, and stroked her thigh during a lesson. The panel concluded that Mr Cross’s conduct violated the Department of Education’s Teachers’ Standards and Code of Conduct, emphasizing the severity of his breaches and the importance of safeguarding standards in educational environments.