Deputy Head Teacher Permanently Barred from Classroom Following Sexual Harassment Scandal
A married primary school deputy head has been permanently banned from the teaching profession after bombarding two junior female colleagues with sexually explicit messages. Ashley Kalnins, 39, who worked at St Francis Catholic Primary School in Warwickshire, persistently harassed the women with inappropriate communications while concealing the exchanges from his partner.
Inappropriate Conduct During School Hours
A Teaching Regulation Agency panel heard that Kalnins sent the messages from inside his classroom during school hours. On one particularly alarming occasion, he texted a colleague about a sex act while driving a car containing pupils. The panel ruled his behaviour represented exploitative conduct towards junior female staff and constituted extremely serious misconduct.
Explicit Message Content Revealed
Messages examined by the disciplinary panel included texts telling one colleague to wear something loose so I can get my hand down and come sit on me. He asked another how wet do you get? and urged her to wear sexy undies to work. Kalnins told a colleague he thought about her in pornstar boots and that he preferred short skirts because they were easy to lift up.
Victims' Experiences and Distress
Both women testified they had never encouraged the messages and lived in fear of being alone with Kalnins. One colleague was so distressed she rang her partner to bring a cardigan to school because she could not face appearing in front of him without it, despite being properly dressed. The victims described how Kalnins would sexualise all his messages consistently throughout the day, as well as early in the morning and late at night.
Pattern of Harassment and Concealment
Kalnins began working at the primary school as deputy head in September 2016 and left in December 2018. He started bombarding one female colleague with sexual messages just months after she began working there. The panel heard he asked her to message him on social media so his then-girlfriend wouldn't see the communications.
Both women reported that Kalnins told them to delete the messages he had sent them, telling one colleague that we don't want anyone at school finding out. In one instance, he visited a colleague at school to ask if she had deleted the messages and offered to go on her phone to delete them himself.
Defence and Panel Findings
Kalnins claimed his messages were a joke and that he thought they were mutual and consensual. He told the panel he was truly sorry for his behaviour and deeply regretted any actions and words that had unintentionally caused harm.
However, the TRA determined Kalnins hadn't appeared to sufficiently grasp that his actions were wholly inappropriate and unacceptable. The panel found his behaviour had been sexually motivated and his conduct towards the women was entirely unacceptable.
Lifetime Prohibition Order Imposed
Banning him for life, Stuart Blomfield, acting for the education secretary, stated: In my judgement, the lack of full insight means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils.
He added that he was particularly mindful of the finding of sexual motivation, and that the conduct was directed towards junior members of staff. Blomfield concluded that a prohibition order is proportionate and in the public interest to maintain confidence in the teaching profession.
The panel assessed the risk of Kalnins reoffending as extremely high, justifying the permanent ban from classroom teaching.
