A music teacher at Eton has been banned from classrooms for life after he was caught searching for ‘gay little boys’ on his work laptop.
Famed organist David Goode, 52, was suspended indefinitely from the prestigious boarding school in December 2021 after his searches triggered a warning on the academy’s IT system.
Mr Goode was arrested on suspicion of possession and distribution of indecent images of children, but was released after police decided to take no further action.
The music teacher searched for inappropriate content on at least 229 occasions in 2021, which also included phrases such as ‘gay little boys’, ‘free spirits gaylove’, ‘cute thai boys’, ‘cute thai littel [sic] boys’ and ‘Algerian gay boys’, the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) reported.
Goode wrote a letter to a colleague following his suspension in which he said he was ‘massively regretful’ of the ‘illegal images’ he had viewed, before formally resigning from his role at the elite academy ahead of a disciplinary hearing in April 2022.
At the Teaching Regulation Agency hearing, Goode admitted that his actions were sexually motivated and that his behaviour amounted to unacceptable professional conduct which may bring the profession into disrepute.
The TRA said the former teacher had submitted a statement which says ‘shows remorse and apologises for his actions and expresses the steps he is taking to address his behaviour’.
They also heard that ‘his name has been included in the Children’s Barred List and he is therefore already pursuing a career outside of teaching’.
Speaking on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, decision maker David Otley said Goode would be banned from teaching for life following the allegations.
He added: ‘Furthermore, in view of the seriousness of the allegations found proved against him, I have decided that Mr Goode shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.’
Goode, who has performed at the Proms multiple times and has over 15,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, had previously been warned about accessing pornographic material on his laptop back in 2017.
The disgraced teacher said in an email that he ‘deeply regrets what has happened and any distress caused’, and that he will be pursuing a future career outside of teaching.
An Eton College spokesman said it ‘fully supports the decision to bar Mr David Goode from teaching having been found guilty of professional misconduct and/or conduct capable of bringing the teaching profession into disrepute.
‘Mr Goode was employed by Eton College from 2005 to 2022. The misconduct in question, which involved searching for indecent images of children online, was identified in 2021 through the College’s own internet monitoring system.
‘As soon as we processed our daily monitoring reports highlighting the searches, on 7 December 2021, we immediately notified the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and the police. In consultation with the LADO and the police, Mr Goode was suspended on the day of his arrest on 9 December 2021 and did not return to work prior to his resignation in April 2022.
‘A police investigation followed but no criminal charges were brought, whereupon the College commenced internal disciplinary proceedings. However, Mr Goode resigned before these could be concluded. At the time we made the necessary professional referrals, including a referral to the TRA, which has resulted in yesterday’s publication of their decision.
‘We agree with the TRA’s assessment that the findings of misconduct are particularly serious due to the nature of the online searches and the harm that such activity does to young people.
‘While there is no evidence to suggest that any Eton pupil was at risk during Mr Goode’s employment or as a result of these searches, the safety and wellbeing of all young people remains our top priority. Eton College remains committed to maintaining rigorous safeguarding practices and fostering a culture where pupils, parents, and staff can confidently raise any concerns.’
The College spokesman added: ‘Mr Goode attempted to access legal, adult pornography in February 2017. These attempts were unsuccessful as the sites were blocked by the College’s filtering and monitoring system.
‘The College immediately reported this to the LADO, who informed the police. The police investigated and concluded that there was no illegal activity, and the case was closed by the statutory agencies.
‘Notwithstanding this, as stated in the TRA decision, Mr Goode was given a warning about his conduct from the College.’
Eton is one of the most prestigious schools in the country, with parents required to pay £52,749 a year in annual fees. Former prime ministers David Cameron and Boris Johnson both previously attended the school as pupils, as did Goode himself.
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