A teacher who got drunk at a Year 11 prom and said that female pupils were “gagging for it” has been spared a ban from teaching.

Lewis Morrison, who taught music and drama at the Albion Academy in Salford, Greater Manchester, admitted drinking “six-seven pints of San Miguel” at the celebration at Hotel Football, a hotel near Manchester United’s ground, in June 2018.

A panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency heard that the 29-year-old was “observed in a drunken state and swearing” and that video footage of his behaviour spread on social media in the days that followed.

A report, published today, says he made comments to the effect that: 

• “I don’t give a fuck, I am leaving in a couple of weeks, what are they going to do about it?”; 
• “Lads, you need to go where this lot are for the after party, they are gagging for it,” referring to female pupils;
• That he would “knock him the fuck out”, referring to the school principal, simulating a head butt to the school principal. 

Mr Morrison responded to the allegations by saying that he accepted that he had consumed too many alcoholic drinks, which had meant he had made “some bad decisions in the way I conducted myself”.

Teacher ‘drank six or seven pints at prom’

But he added: “Regarding the comments of a sexual nature, these comments have been twisted and taken out of context. I was not and have never encouraged sexual activity amongst students.”

However, the panel decided that a witness “did correctly hear all of what Mr Morrison had said and shouted” and stated: “It was unclear to the panel how the words allegedly said by Mr Morrison, a teacher at a school event, could be taken out of context to such an extent to make them appropriate in the circumstances.” 

In written evidence, Mr Morrison said the headteacher was “never threatened by myself face to face, and I don’t believe there is any adult or child in this school or the wider community who believes this would be the case”.

The report says that while staff were allowed to drink at the prom, they were expected to have “only one, possibly two, alcoholic drinks”.

Mr Morrison had handed in his resignation to move to a different school five weeks earlier, and the report says he “had allowed his enthusiasm at leaving the Albion to be demonstrated excessively and inappropriately in language and action”.

The panel’s report describes his actions as “crass stupidity”, and adds: “The remarks made by Mr Morrison were significantly inappropriate and included insinuations of violence.

“His behaviour was so far below the appropriate standard that parents’ complaints were made not only to the Albion’s headteacher but also to the headteacher of a different school. 

“Whilst there is no suggestion that any pupils did come to harm, Mr Morrison was present at the prom to ensure pupil safety.

“Had his assistance been required, his alcohol consumption may well have impaired his ability to carry out his duty.”

It notes that Mr Morrison had a good record up to this incident, had expressed remorse, and “accepted, at the earliest opportunity during the internal investigation, that he had made mistakes and did not try to defend his actions, although he did appear to minimise some of the concerns”.

The panel recommended against banning Mr Morrison from teaching, saying his behaviour was “at the less serious end of the possible spectrum”.

Dawn Dandy, who made a final decision on behalf of the education secretary, agreed and said that publishing the adverse findings about Mr Morrison was “sufficient”.