A New Malden school has paid out to a teacher who was fired after his “sexualised” artist choice led a pupil to Google explicit images online.
Peter Knowles, 54, was head of art at Coombe Boys’ School when he chose surrealist artist HR Giger for the subject of a GCSE class in autumn 2013 – leading one student to use a school computer to research the artist and discover the images.
He was also accused of “pretending to want to cut the beard of a Muslim pupil”, in a series of allegations that would eventually lead to him being suspended in December and eventually dismissed for gross misconduct.
Friday, July 15: Coombe Boys' School teacher fired after 'inappropriate' artist choice causes pupil to Google explicit images
But after an employment tribunal in Croydon, Coombe Boys’ School settled the case with Mr Knowles on Monday.
Mr Knowles, who now lives in Dorking, signed a non-disclosure agreement with the school, prohibiting him from releasing specific details of the settlement.
During the tribunal, he submitted evidence claiming the school had failed to properly investigate the allegations, including failing to interview the Muslim student whose beard he had allegedly threatened to cut – something Mrs Walls acknowledged “could have been done”.
Mr Knowles was also not at Coombe Boys’ when the pupil googled Giger as the class was being overseen by a fellow teacher.
Mr Knowles was suing Coombe Boys' School for unfair dismissal
HR Giger is most famous for his designs for sci-fi thriller Alien, but is also known for his sexually explicit paintings. Despite this, he is featured as an artist on the National Curriculum.
In a statement submitted to the court, Headteacher Deborah Walls said: “Boys especially are very easily influenced and some of the Giger images, I felt, were far too sexualised.
“Not only that, they were sexualised in an unpleasant way which almost treated women as organs of male desire.
“Whilst the claimant had acknowledged that there was a body of Giger’s work which should be ‘steered away from’ he had not put any safeguards or controls in place to ensure that happened.”
Other allegations included that Mr Knowles had used the word “flange” in a conversation with pupils during detention and he had left a book titled The Art of Arousal in his classroom.
A local authority designated officer (LADO) met with Mrs Walls in October 2014, but found that Mr Knowles had “not acted in a way which questioned his suitability to work with children”.
Despite this Mrs Walls “very much disagreed” with the LADO’s findings and said that Mr Knowles had still acted “entirely inappropriately”.
In written evidence Mr Knowles said: “[My family] have felt the impact and suffered because of what has happened to me, as did my late father.
“My future career prospects and therefore my financial situation has been irreparably damaged.”
Coombe Boys’ School was not available for comment.
- Got a story? Call the newsdesk on 020 722 6315 or send an email to jonathan.mitchell@london.newsquest.co.uk
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