A physical education (PE) teacher has faced a ban from teaching due to his offensive social media remarks targeting migrants and advocating for left-leaning individuals to be sent to Russia.
Sam Everett, who worked as a PE instructor at Haughton Academy in Darlington, County Durham, for a period of two years, used a public account that clearly identified him as a teacher at the school to express his right-wing political opinions. His online interactions on platforms such as Twitter included controversial comments on migrants, Islam, and his belief that being English often leads to unwarranted accusations of racism.
Despite a panel initially considering allowing him to return to teaching on the grounds that his comments were not deemed racist or sexist, the Secretary of State’s decision-maker intervened, ultimately leading to his ban.
The decision-maker concluded that the panel’s findings alone did not meet the necessary public interest requirements for maintaining confidence in the teaching profession. During the investigation, it was revealed that Everett had made derogatory statements about migrants originating from allegedly intolerable and barbaric regions and had suggested using the navy against them.
Furthermore, Everett’s social media posts, which spanned from December 2023 to February 2024, were found to have tarnished the reputation of the teaching profession. Despite claims of innocence, it was evident that he had failed to maintain appropriate privacy settings, leading to his identification as a teacher. His posts included derogatory remarks about individuals using certain terms and expressing anti-communist sentiments.
Following an inquiry triggered by concerns raised over his social media conduct, Everett was dismissed in June 2024. Despite demonstrating remorse and regret for his actions, the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) suspended him from teaching with a possibility of re-application after two years due to his lack of tolerance and respect for the beliefs and rights of others.