United Kingdom teacher has been permanently barred from the classroom after an investigation found that he assaulted a pupil and threw the child out of a classroom doorway into a playground.
The teacher, Joseph Luttman, was working at Marland School in Barnstaple when the incident occurred in September 2023. Findings revealed that during a lesson, two pupils were chasing each other around the classroom when Luttman intervened violently.
According to official records, Luttman pushed one of the pupils, identified as Pupil A, causing the child to fall to the floor. When the pupil stood up, the teacher pushed him again before lifting him by the arm and shoulder and throwing him through an open doorway into the playground, where the child landed on his back.
Concerns were raised after Pupil A’s mother contacted the school on September 7, 2023, requesting an explanation of the incident and questioning why no accident report had been issued. A follow-up email the next day alleged that her son had sustained bruises, scrapes, and marks on his head and body, which he said were caused by a member of staff.
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In response, a multi-agency safeguarding meeting was convened involving school officials, the Local Authority Designated Officer, and the police.
The case later resulted in Luttman accepting a police caution in January 2024 for assault by beating, contrary to Section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) subsequently handled the professional misconduct case. Luttman requested that the matter be concluded without a formal hearing and submitted a signed statement admitting to unacceptable professional conduct.
In his admission, Luttman confirmed that he used physical force against the pupil, including lifting and throwing the child outside the classroom. Investigators also found that after the incident, he attempted to distract the pupil from reporting the assault to his mother by poking and tickling him while seated in a car.
Initial communication from the school downplayed the incident, with an assistant head teacher telling the pupil’s mother that no accident had been reported and suggesting that the teacher and child had merely bumped into each other. However, further investigation contradicted this claim.
A professional conduct panel ruled that Luttman’s actions were threatening, intimidating, and a serious breach of safeguarding standards. The panel concluded that he had fallen significantly short of the standards expected of the teaching profession and had violated guidance under Keeping Children Safe in Education.
CCTV evidence reviewed during the investigation showed that the force used was not reasonable or proportionate. The TRA also criticised Luttman for attempting to prevent the pupil from disclosing the incident.
As a result of the findings, Joseph Luttman has been prohibited from teaching indefinitely and will not be permitted to apply for the restoration of his teaching licence.
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