Teacher who touched colleague's crotch banned

A teacher has been banned from the classroom for at least two years after grabbing a colleague's crotch and another's breast on a staff night out.

Vincent Collister was found to have brought his profession into disrepute while working at Ovingham Middle School, in Northumberland, in 2023.

Mr Collister had not admitted the allegations and did not attend a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) hearing in June.

The Cheviot Learning Trust, which runs Ovingham Middle School, said it would not comment on the matter.

The 43-year-old was employed at the middle school from 2022 as a classroom teacher, year six form tutor and geography curriculum lead before a referral was made to the TRA in October 2023.

A TRA panel has banned him from teaching indefinitely, although he can apply for a review after June 2027.

The TRA panel heard that on a staff night out in June 2023, Mr Collister stroked the beard of a male colleague, spoke to him inappropriately and grabbed his crotch.

On the same evening, he grabbed a female colleague's breast and nipple piercing.

The panel also noted that Mr Collister had repeatedly messaged the woman and asked that she join him in his hotel room.

The hearing was told Mr Collister said he remembered touching his colleague's beard during the school's investigation, but said it was in a "jokey way".

Mr Collister denied the other allegations.

The panel found that on the balance of probabilities, Mr Collister was more likely than not to have committed all of the acts.

All proven allegations, except for the beard-stroking, were found to have been sexually motivated.

The panel believed Mr Collister's behaviour "constituted as conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute".

It did however, accept that his conduct was out of character, but that he had demonstrated limited insight into the adverse effect it had on his colleagues.

The panel also found Mr Collister had showed very little remorse.

The report concluded that the allegations found proven involved "serious sexual misconduct" which did harm his colleagues and gave him a prohibition order which can be reviewed in two years.

Mr Collister can also appeal to the High Court within 28 days of receiving the ban.

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