Facing false allegations

Risks along the way….

Sadly as a teacher, in spite of all your work you always run a serious risk of an allegation being made against you. A friendly hug, quiet words with a pupil in distress, being on your own with a young person - all things which were perfectly normal thirty years ago, now bring all kinds of risks. It’s a really sad reflection on society today and you really do have to be careful - even though you know you may have done nothing wrong.

The advent of social media bring even more risks, and I was always careful to warn staff to never contact young people except on school systems, and not to initiate any contact even after a pupil has left school. We now live in a society where victimhood takes a high profile and people can be fast to blame their own issues on those who have been close to them - and teachers can come high on this list.

So what do you do if you face an allegation? First of all, stay calm. Take immediate legal advice from your union or an experienced solicitor if you are not a union member. Senior staff are particularly at risk and be aware that your union may not support you if you are now overseas even though an allegation may date from time in the UK. You may also have issues if you are in a different union from the one you were in when the allegation dates from. A good piece of advice is that you should always stay a member of your first union even if you later join a headteachers union. That way you are more likely to guarantee union support.

There are processes to go through and these must happen. However, governors and staff can panic and make mistakes, and it’s vital you have legal support which can advise you about the process and what your rights are. Governors, staff and even some safeguarding officers may not have experienced allegations against staff before and the chances of them taking a mistep can be high and this can certainly Impact on how you are treated.

People will make all sorts of conclusions from an allegation - even if you know it is false. So while it is an allegation, keep it as confidential as you can. Reputations are ruined by unproven facts and remember you are innocent til proven guilty.

So what happens with the Teachers Regulatory Authority? Tread very carefully here - they are easily swayed by emotive testimony and will not act in your interests. There are too many cases of boards - sometimes without relevant experience - being very trigger happy in finding teachers guilty without concrete evidence. Your union will fill you in on this - being innocent may not be enough to save you from the TRA, so be fully prepared.

What if you are struggling? Contact an organisation like FACT - for those facing allegations in contexts of trust.- support@factuk.org.

They undertake research and are full of facts and useful information to support you, and will have details of firms and solicitors who can help and give advice.

Above all, remember who you are. You matter and are important, no matter what false things are said against you. You have a life and relationships and people who will stand with you, and remember you are not defined by a single allegation when you have done nothing wrong. Hold your head high, listen to advice and remember you are never alone.