Teacher who called student 'white trash' keeps job - but gets 80 hrs community service

Left: Moseley school and language college
Moseley School A Language College : College Road, Moseley B13 9LR
Telephone : 0121 678 6400 Email : enquiry@moseley.bham.sch.uk

The Telegraph reports - Jane Turner intervened in a heated argument between a group of children near a school to help end it.

However, during the dispute a parent of one of the children reported hearing her say: “Go and play with your own little white friends, you’re nothing but white trash.”

After she was reported to police, Mrs Turner initially denied using the phrase but later admitted she had said “white trash” and has since apologised.

Mrs Turner was working at Moseley School, a specialist language college in Birmingham, when the incident took place almost 20 miles away.

She was convicted at Halesowen Magistrates Court of an offence of using racially threatening words or behaviour likely to cause harassment or distress.

She was made subject of a community order for one year with a requirement to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay compensation of £50.

The General Teaching Council also investigated and yesterday announced its conclusions, criticising her for “unacceptable professional conduct” but stopping short of suspending her from teaching over the incident which took place in April 2009. Read more