‘Stressed’ South London primary school teacher sacked for ‘slapping’ pupils

A primary school teacher has been banned from the profession for life after it was found she ‘slapped’ pupils while being ‘severely stressed’ and upset at work. Michelle Scarlett was employed at a Lambeth school for just over a year and a half until April 2016.

A misconduct hearing heard how the 43-year-old “brought the profession into disrepute” after she was found guilty of “slapping and hitting” two children at Ashmole Primary School on Ashmole Street, Vauxhall. It also heard how she caused them physical and emotional harm. It was also revealed that Ms Scarlett failed to seek medical assistance for the children under her care when it was required.

On March 11, 2015, an incident took place during which two pupils – who are known only as Child A and Child B – were allegedly hit by Ms Scarlett. Following the attack, it was reported that an unnamed individual poured boiling water on Child A’s shoulder and Child B’s stomach, causing injury.

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It is alleged that Ms Scarlett, who was not in the room at the time of the incident, failed to take steps to prevent the injury and failed to take steps to address the injuries suffered and seek medical attention for Child A and Child B.

A week later, on March 18, both children spoke to other staff at the school. Ms Scarlett was then arrested for cruelty to persons under 16. The following day, the two young pupils were taken to hospital with social services.

Meanwhile, the person who threw boiling water over Child A and Child B – known only as Individual A – surrendered to custody at Brixton police station. He was arrested for grievous bodily harm with intent and cruelty to persons under 16.

Ms Scarlett was dismissed from Ashmole Primary School on April 29, 2016, more than a year after the alleged attack. She appealed against her dismissal and was unsuccessful. In April 2018, the Crown Court case against Ms Scarlett was heard.

In July of the same year, Individual A – who threw the boiling water – raised a defence of insanity and was deemed unfit to plead. However, he was found to have committed acts of grievous bodily harm with intent and cruelty to persons under sixteen.

The panel found that on one or more occasion, Ms Scarlett slapped Child A and/or Child B During an appeal against her dismissal, a trade union representative acting on her behalf said: “Michelle made wrong decisions. She became angry on March 11, and shouted at and slapped [child’s name].

The panel considered the detailed and consistent accounts given by Child A and Child B in the course of the criminal proceedings and on the weight of evidence before the panel, they concluded that Ms Scarlett had hit the children on a number of occasions with “sustained severity”.

As a result of the findings, she has been banned from teaching in England for the rest of her life. The panel found the offences of violence, serious dishonesty, child cruelty and neglect were relevant. Of key concern to the panel was Ms Scarlett’s attitude to the use of physical force and her failure to protect Child A and Child B from the physical and emotional harm they sustained at the hands of Individual A. Now, she is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

A report of the hearing read: “There was substantial evidence before the panel that Ms Scarlett had on a number of occasions physically harmed Child A and Child B. She accepts in evidence that she did so when frustrated. On balance the panel considered that the use by Ms Scarlett of physical force on Child A and Child B went far beyond what might be considered acceptable and amounted to abuse.

“The panel was not satisfied from the evidence that Ms Scarlett accepted that the level of physical force she had used, on occasion, towards Child A and Child B was excessive and unacceptable. Instead, in the evidence, she appears to blame her actions on external factors, such as stress, pressures of work, and concerns for the children’s behaviour.”

“There was evidence to suggest that Ms Scarlett may have been acting at times under heightened stress, but the panel was satisfied she was not acting under extreme duress. She failed to persuade the panel that she truly grasped and understood her culpability in the events giving rise to the allegations.”

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