Secondary school teacher suspended after touching pupils inappropriately

A secondary school teacher has been suspended after he inappropriately touched three pupils at a school in Swansea.

ICT teacher, Martin Williams, worked at Olchfa Comprehensive School in Sketty and has been suspended by the Education Workforce Council (EWC) following a disciplinary hearing earlier this month.

Four pupils aged under 16 complained of Mr Williams telling them “I love you”. The hearing found the 29-year-old teacher guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.

Three girls said Mr Williams touched them on their waist and chest along with “tickling them”.

The hearing, held in Cardiff, found one boy also complained the teacher had hit him in the face leaving a mark.

Mr Williams, from Llanelli, was also alleged to have shone a laser pen at two students, including pointing the pen at children’s genitals and backsides although a statement on the EWC website on the outcome of the hearing referred only to the pen being shined in 'pupil’s faces and/or eyes'.

Mr Williams was also said to have uploaded year 12 coursework marks to the WJEC which were not an accurate reflection of pupils’ work. He also provided a colleague with year 13 coursework marks and year 11 controlled assessment marks to be uploaded to the WJEC which were not an accurate reflection of pupils’ work.

During the hearing, case presenter Cadi Dewi said: “Concerns arose in 2016 in relation to Mr Williams’ behaviour by a number of pupils. They related to inappropriate touching and behaviour towards pupils.”

Assistant head teacher Julian Kennedy told the disciplinary hearing that one girl nicknamed Mr Williams “the creepy IT teacher”. She complained after he ran his fingers through her hair.

The three girls and one boy were then asked to write down the allegations against Williams which prompted an internal investigation in 2016.

Williams was suspended from his job at the 1,700-pupil school and has since left.

The hearing was told that Mr Williams gave grades to pupils which were “inaccurate”. Mr Williams accepted telling pupils “I love you” and touching the female pupils on the waist but denied his actions were sexually motivated.

He also admitted hitting the boy pupil and poking him with a ruler and uploading coursework marks which were not accurate.