Witchunts in the Teaching Profession

[TonyGosling]

.........He said he was tactile and would often put an arm around boys and girls in the playground.

One former pupil, now 14, told the court he tickled her and three other girls "to make us feel better".

Another girl of ten, who was tickled on her tummy, said: "I thought he was just playing about."

Anton Lodge QC, the Recorder, told Mr Matthews he would leave the court with his good character intact.

He backed the jury's not-guilty verdicts at the end of the 16-day trial, adding: "That in my view is the correct version of events."

Mr Matthews, from North Ferriby near Hull, had told the court: "It isn't just about teaching kids to read and write in school, you have almost got to be a parent.

"If I thought for one second something I had done to a child caused them discomfort I would be upset. It was all in context, all friendly and there was no malice in it. I did not change my behaviour when adults were there. I had nothing to hide."

He said he had been suspended from his £45,000-a-year job and did not feel able to resume his teaching career.

He added: "It is a profession under siege from malicious complaints.

"I had to personally deal with a similar situation before it happened to me with a member of staff accused of assaulting a child............

"I was in charge of a meeting with the social services, some of them were reacting almost with glee at the prospect of the allegation being true. It wasn't.".....................

Deputy headteacher who 'tickled' pupils speaks of hell after failed 16-week assault trial
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_artic le_id=539936&in_page_id=1770

[eogz]

I work in a residential school with young damaged people, reckon I'd better stop hugging and tickling them too!

Its absslute nonesense, kids are thrown into care and then placed in loveless environments where the carers can no longer show appropriate adult/child affection!

yes I know some use this for grooming, I have done many child protection courses, but we also teach young people in care how to be become socially isolated adults with little or no fond childhood memories.

I'm at the end of my tether in my job, but I can't help being fatherly with the kids I work with....

Perhaps ASDA?

[Sixy]

I agree eogz. I'm a teacher and sometimes children need a hug, like we all do!!