Teacher banned for five years after drinking with students and groping colleague
Dr Tom Kershaw, 40, downed drinks with Year 13 students at Ivybridge Community College in Devon, a conduct panel was told.
A science teacher who participated in a drinking game with students and groped a colleague at a school prom has been banned for at least five years.
Dr Tom Kershaw, 40, downed drinks with Year 13 pupils at Ivybridge Community College in Devon in June 2018, a conduct panel was told.
Dr Kershaw, who organised the prom, also "failed to maintain appropriate professional boundaries" and bought jewellery for a student, the hearing heard.
A witness said in evidence, Dr Kershaw had been “displaying drunken behaviour”, including slurring his speech and stumbling around.
Another witness added: "Dr Kershaw was playing a 'down the drinks game' with pupils.
“From what I understand, if a penny was put into your drink you had to 'down' it."
A colleague accused Dr Kershaw of groping her after he "grabbed" her when he “stumbled” and said he had cupped her breast for up to four seconds.
She said: "Then his hand stopped at my left breast, he then cupped and groped my left breast."
He denies the groping allegation.
Dr Kershaw also told a group at the prom he wanted to have sex with the colleague, which was loud enough to be heard by several students nearby, the panel was told.
The panel found Dr Kershaw’s email exchanges and a gift of jewellery to a student were "inappropriate and unprofessional" rather than being done "in a sexual manner or in pursuit of sexual gratification".
In a number of emails to the student, he used an “X” to sign off and also referred to them as “Hun”, the panel was told.
In his defence, Dr Kershaw said he had “drank to a level that was inappropriate” after being bought alcohol by students at the bar.
He said he couldn’t remember the groping incident, adding: "I deny, even in my intoxicated state, that I would deliberately grope anyone."
Dr Kershaw's remorse was noted by the panel, but it added that being intoxicated wasn’t a defence for his behaviour.
The Teaching Regulation Agency has banned him from teaching in any school or sixth-form college, and he cannot request to have the prohibition order lifted for a minimum of five years.
