An update on this story.
Mr Clare has been in contact to point out that the original Mail article has been amended to state that he received the messages.
Please can you re read the article in the daily mail (which has been corrected with an apology issues at the bottom) and reconsider your position based on the accurate reporting of this. It may not change but please ensure it’s based on the truth and not libellous reporting by the daily mail
The relevant parts that were amended from the original are below:
In a slew of grossly offensive messages received by Mr Clare…
And:
Teaching watchdogs heard that the messages were found on a colleague’s phone seized in March 2021 by the Metropolitan Police who then raised the matter to the local authority.
These updates are subtle in that the significant factor – Mr Clare has been banned from the classroom – remains true. The difference being that he received rather than sent the messages being quoted.
Does this change anything?
While I acknowledge the difference between the original article and the amended one, my position remains unchanged as it revolves around the issue of private communications, rather than Mr Clare’s behaviour. I object to the fact that someone has been disciplined for what was said on a private forum, regardless of who said what to whom, none of which is relevant to the point I was making. That said, my opinion of him as expressed in the original post remains unchanged as well. He could, and should, have left the group and deleted any references on his device. I would have done.
Sounds like destroying evidence. Plod will say. Got something to feel guilty about, eh? Sir?
Meanwhile every pupil, teacher, and other staff will be speculating on what was said and on who grassed. He was probably a popular teacher. All good for the efficient working of the school.
Years ago I worked for a council. We sent funny clips, jokes etc to each other, including the manager. One girl found one lot offensive, as she’d received it from a guy she didn’t like she put a complaint in. She was hoping the guy she didn’t like would get sacked but it was the manager who got suspended and had to fight for his job. Reason was he’d sent the offending set of jokes to all his staff and all the chap who was not liked did was pass it on to the girl. All the other staff were called in and had to sign to say we were not offended by the jokes. It was an end of the funny things that punctuated the days.
Made you realise to be very careful what you said, who you sent things to you never know what will offend people.
And that was the start of cancel culture.
had to sign to say we were not offended
aka guilty until proven innocent