Thaindian News

London, Jan 30 (ANI): A Brit teacher, sacked for threatening to stab a pupil, has been banned from the profession after sending a female ex-colleague with gifts and sexually explicit messages.

Disgraced former English teacher Trell O’Hara allegedly harassed Karen Smith over a period of six months - sending her sexual notes, romantic poetry and a dozen red roses, reports the Daily Mail.

She even bought Smith - the head of English at her former school - a solitaire ring and left phone messages under false names in order to get her to call.

A panel at the General Teaching Council (GTC), in Birmingham, found O’Hara guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and banned her from teaching.

The committee heard O’Hara had been employed at College High School, Erdington, Birmingham, in 2005 as a Newly Qualified Teacher in the English department.

But in March 2007, after disciplinary proceedings, she was dismissed for gross misconduct - following an incident where she threatened to stab a pupil in her class.

The GTC was told last week that Smith was not involved in the disciplinary proceedings.

But between February 2009 and July 2009 O’Hara pursued a campaign of harassment against her.

The teaching panel heard that O’Hara left a telephone message on February 24 under a false name to get Smith to contact her.

O’Hara said she wanted to discuss everything that had happened - but when Smith realised who it was, she terminated the call.

The sacked teacher left another message under another false name on March 11, but her former colleague did not return the call.

Then on February 27 she sent a card to Smith containing a sexual reference - before sending her a dozen red roses and a card containing romantic poetry on March 5.

The gifts were sent to the school’s main reception and Smith was described as being ‘deeply embarrassed and upset’ by the incident.

It prompted the school-based police officer to call O’Hara and warn her to stop contacting Smith or criminal proceedings would follow.

But the unwanted attention continued when the head of English was ‘deeply upset’ to receive a card containing sexually explicit references, together with a solitaire ring.

Smith then made a formal complaint to the police about O’Hara’s behaviour and she was convicted of harassment on October 28, 2009, at Sutton Coldfield Magistrates Court.

The GTC found O’Hara to have breached professional conduct and concluded that she lacked insight into her behaviour and has a ‘deep-seated attitudinal problem’.

They sanctioned her with a prohibition order, meaning she cannot register as a teacher.

O’Hara was told she could apply to have the ban overturned in four years’ time.

She also has a right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days from the date of her order. (ANI)