Teachers Banned for Life, Years Over Sexual Misconduct

Alan Harbottle, a former primary school teacher in the UK, has been permanently banned from teaching after being convicted of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. Caught in a police sting operation, Harbottle communicated with undercover officers posing as a 14-year-old boy, discussing sexual acts and exchanging explicit images. Following a review by a teacher regulation agency, the severity of his conviction warranted a lifetime ban. Similarly, Daniyal Burney, a teacher at St Margaret’s School, was prohibited from teaching indefinitely for exchanging inappropriate messages with 16-year-old pupils, which were deemed sexually motivated despite not being inherently sexual. Additionally, Jeffrey Forden Mooney, who sent suggestive messages to female students, received a five-year teaching ban after being found guilty of professional misconduct by B.C.'s teacher regulation branch. These cases highlight ongoing concerns regarding teacher misconduct and the safeguarding of students in educational environments.