A headteacher who described one pupil as ‘f***ing ugly’ and called another a ‘fat slug’ has been allowed to remain in the profession after a misconduct hearing.
Nicola Brogan made derogatory remarks about staff, pupils and a parent which was ‘highly likely to create an uncomfortable and negative working environment’ in her former role as head of Woodland Community Primary School in Heywood, Lancashire.
She referred to one pupil as a ‘wimp’ and another as having ‘no personality’ in a group chat with the senior leadership team, a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel found.
Mrs Brogan – who led the school between September 2011 and December 2019 – also used the term ‘Captain Camp’ about a male member of staff in reference to his sexuality and called someone else as a ‘fat f*** who likes to finger herself’ in a text message.
She further referred to a parent at the school who was of Scottish heritage as a ‘f****** jock’, the Tra panel was told.
It found Mrs Brogan’s comments were ‘abusive and inappropriate’ and her conduct ‘very serious’, both of which had a ‘negative impact upon the working environment of the school’.
The panel’s report said: ‘The working culture at the school at the material time was at times negative and hostile.
‘Some pupils and some staff members were clearly not always treated with respect by Mrs Brogan.’
The panel said Mrs Brogan had worked for many years at the school without complaints and deserved ‘considerable credit’ for leading it out of special measures.
It concluded that a prohibition order banning her from the profession was neither proportionate nor in the public interest.
Sarah Buxcey, from the TRA, said: ‘I have also placed considerable weight on the finding of the panel that “the panel also considered that, given her experience and prior good service, there was every prospect that Mrs Brogan would be able to make a contribution to the education profession in the future”.
‘I have given weight in my consideration of sanction therefore, to the contribution that Mrs Brogan has made to the profession.
‘For these reasons, I have concluded that a prohibition order is not proportionate or in the public interest.’
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