Teacher who took pupils to strip club while drunk on school trip banned from teaching

Richard Glenn, an IT teacher who drank with, threatened and took underage students to a strip club has been banned from teaching.

An educator at Northumberland Longridge Towers, a £4,850 a term private school Mr Glenn, 55, admitted gross misconduct and was dismissed in August 2019.

His behaviour was deemed so deplorable that he was sent home just 6 days into the schools trip to Costa Rica by the expositions leader.

The former head of Sixth form reportedly:

• Drank with pupils
• Allowed one or more pupils to drink alcohol despite being under 18
• Threatened to “kick the head in” of one pupil and “kill” another
• Told one pupil: “I’m not in trouble – you’ll be in trouble”
• After being aggressive to one pupil, kissed the boy’s forehead and told him “you’re all right”
• Took one or more pupils to a strip club
• Acted aggressively towards the woman leading the trip when she tried to help him back to his tent
• Exposed himself to the woman in a shared hotel room, although it was agreed this was not “malicious or sexually motivated”

The misconduct panel said his behaviour “placed one or more pupils in his care at risk” despite there being “no malice or sexual intent” in regards to the visit to the strip club.

“Mr Glenn was, at various times during the school trip, under the influence of alcohol, and therefore not in a position to adequately take decisions or act in loco parentis should the need arise,”

“This was in circumstances where pupils under his care were in an unfamiliar country, far from home, and relying on him for guidance and protection,”

“Mr Glenn was an experienced teacher and pastoral leader who would have been expected to lead an overseas trip safely, and would have been well aware of the conduct expected of him.”

Mr Glenn who is now serving a 3 year ban from teaching told the panel he could not remember what happened “due to his state of intoxication” but “did not dispute the recollection of those present”.

He also admitted that his actions were indeed “inappropriate and unprofessional”.