Drunk teacher who hugged, kissed and ‘danced inappropriately’ with pupils at school prom banned from classroom

Chris Naylor threatened to release photos if employers did not agree to let him leave with lump sum

Chris Naylor was a teacher at Congleton High School, Cheshire (Google)

A teacher who drunkenly hugged, kissed and danced "inappropriately" with Year 11 students at a school prom has been banned from the classroom.

A disciplinary panel heard that Chris Naylor, who had helped organise the dance, had been seen seen kissing pupils on the cheek, putting his hands on their waists and hugging them at the event in June 2018.

During the probe the 39-year-old told the school that he had photographs of other teachers drinking at the event and threatened to release them on social media, saying they would “tarnish the school’s reputation”, unless his employers paid him nine months of salary.

The school refused and Mr Naylor resigned on 31 August 2018.

Mr Naylor admitted to the allegations, telling the Teaching Regulation Agency that he had not eaten a proper meal before drinking at the prom, causing the alcohol to have a disproportionate impact on him.

He said the alcohol caused him to “let his guard down” and admitted he engaged in “unacceptable” behaviour.

“Nevertheless the panel did not consider being in an intoxicated state to be a defence to this type of conduct,” the TRA panel concluded.

The panel also found that Mr Naylor’s threat to the school betrayed a lack of integrity.

“Mr Naylor’s ‘offer’ to the school appeared to be a clear attempt inappropriately, to influence the proceedings of an appropriate investigation into his conduct,” the report said.

The panel found that the 39-year-old had behaved in breach of standards.

“The panel was satisfied that the conduct of Mr Naylor fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession,” the report concluded.

“At the prom, whilst he was in a position of responsibility and had a role of ensuring the safety of pupils’, Mr Naylor was intoxicated.

“At the very least, such behaviour increases the chances of pupils’ being exposed to a risk of harm although the panel accepted that there was no evidence that any harm had been caused.”

The panel found his actions amounted to “unacceptable professional misconduct” and could bring the teaching profession into disrepute.

Mr Naylor was banned from teaching for two years, with a review scheduled for the end of the period.

“The panel did consider that Mr Naylor’s conduct was remediable and some time away from the profession would allow him to demonstrate true insight into his behaviour,” the report into his behaviour states.

“Teaching is an inherently stressful career and it is important, for Mr Naylor, pupils and the profession, that he can demonstrate being able to cope appropriately in the future.

“The panel decided that the findings indicated a situation in which a review period would be appropriate and, as such, decided that it would be proportionate in all the circumstances for the prohibition order to be recommended with a provision for a review period after two years.”