A college carpentry supervisor who “tapped” a colleague on the bottom and failed to disclose convictions for destroying or damaging property has been struck off the education work register. Antony Morris failed to disclose the convictions when he applied to register with the Education Workforce Council Wales and now the council has barred him indefinitely.
An EWC professional standards hearing held remotely from December 17 to 19 was told the “inappropriate touching” of a colleague’s bottom by Anthony Morris was among a raft of behaviour including failing to declare convictions, swearing at work, arriving late and leaving early. When he was challenged about the issues Morris told his manager Gavin Jones that he found it hard moving from being self employed to working for ”Grwp Llandrillo Menai (‘the College’)”, the panel heard.
Bryn Jenkins, also a carpentry workshop supervisor at the college, told the hearing he felt “uncomfortable and annoyed” when Morris slapped or tapped him on the bottom in front of a student. When challenged about the touching Morris told his manager it was “a laugh and a bit of banter” but he did later apologise to Mr Jenkins and the behaviour was not repeated. You can get more story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
The committee was also told that Morris, described as having personal pressures at the time, often swore and said f*** in front of staff and students. He didn’t keep machinery cleaned as he was meant to, meaning it had to be repaired, and was frequently late for work, left early and took time off.
As Morris did not attend the hearing, was not represented, did not provide mitigation or enter any responses to the allegations, they were all taken as being denied by him.
The following allegations against Morris, while he was employed as a practical skills supervisor at Grwp Llandrillo Menai (‘the College’) were found proved and not proved:
That:
1. In or around November 2022, he engaged in inappropriate physical contact with Colleague A in that he tapped their buttocks - Proved.
2. Between August 2022 and May 2023, he demonstrated poor timekeeping in that on more than one occasion, he:
a) arrived at the college later than your contracted start time- Proved
b) left the college earlier than your contracted finish time - Proved
c) did not promptly attend scheduled learner sessions to provide support to the teaching staff - Not proved
d) was unreliable in his attendance in that he had a high number of absences from work - Not proved
3. Between August 2022 and May 2023, he demonstrated poor maintenance of the workshop in that on more than one occasion, he left machines untidy - Proved
4. On June 3 2022, he submitted an application to the EWC to register in the category of further education learning support worker, and indicated in the declarations section that he did not have any convictions, when this was incorrect - Proved
5. On October 2 2023, he submitted an application to the EWC to register in the category of work based learning practitioner, and indicated in the declarations section that he did not have any convictions, when this was incorrect - Proved
6. His conduct at paragraphs 4 and 5 was:
a) dishonest; and/or - Proved
b) lacking in integrity - Proved
7. On 21 April 2017, he was convicted at Conwy Magistrates’ Court of destroying or damaging property, contrary to sections 1(1) and 4 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971. As a consequence of this offence, on April 28 2017, he was sentenced to a Community Order and required to carry out 250 hours unpaid work by October 27 2018. He was further ordered to pay £281.75 in compensation - Proved
8. On April 21 2017, he was convicted at Conwy Magistrates’ Court of destroying or damaging property, contrary to sections 1 (1) and 4 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971. As a consequence of this offence, on April 28 2017, he was sentenced to a Community Order and required to carry out 250 hours unpaid work by October 27 2018 - Proved
9. On April 21 2017, he was convicted at Conwy Magistrates’ Court of destroying or damaging property, contrary to sections 1 (1) and 4 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971. As a consequence of this offence, on 28 April 2017, he was sentenced to a Community Order and required to carry out 250 hours unpaid work by October 27 2018. He was further ordered to pay £458 in compensation - Proved
10. On 21 April 2017, he was convicted at Conwy Magistrates’ Court of Destroying or Damaging Property, contrary to sections 1 (1) and 4 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971. As a consequence of this offence, on 28 April 2017, you were sentenced to a Community Order and required to carry out 250 hours unpaid work by 27 October 2018 - Proved
11. On 22 December 2017, he was convicted at North Wales Magistrates’ Court of failing to comply with the requirements of a Community Order made on April 28 2017 by failing to attend an appointment on November 27 2017, contrary to Part 2 of Schedule 8 to the Criminal Justice Act 2003. As a consequence of this offence, on December 22 2017, the original unpaid work requirement was to continue, and he was made subject to a two week electronic curfew requirement via electronic monitoring - Proved
The committee found that the facts found proved amounted to unacceptable professional conduct when considered: a) individually; and/or b) together and that the facts of paragraph 7 to 11 above constituted a relevant offence’ meaning a conviction in the UK for a criminal offence, other than one having no material relevance to a person’s fitness to be a registered person in the relevant category of registration."
Grwp Llandrillo Menai (GLlM), where Morris was dismissed from his job following investigations into the allegations, is an umbrella organisation overseeing three FE colleges in North Wales: Coleg Llandrillo, Coleg Menai and Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor. It runs courses in Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire and Gwynedd, is Wales’s largest further-education (FE) institution and one of the largest FE college groups in the UK
Morris, who worked in the woodshop and carpentry section was not represented at the hearing, did not enter any responses to allegations, or mitigation, references or comment and had not responded in any way to the EWC process, panel chair Peter Owen said.
Mr Owen said mitigating circumstances had been taken into account such as Morris’s personal circumstances at the time, his apology for touching a colleague’s bottom and also that the college had taken no formal action in regard to his time keeping and absences.
But he added that it was a serious breach of the EWC regulations not to disclose convictions when applying to register and that Morris had not engaged in any way with the EWC hearing process. This suggested if they did keep him on the register but with conditions, it was unclear whether Morris would engage.
Striking Morris of the EWC register indefinitely the panel decided that he won’t be able to work as a registered FE support worker or work based learning practitioner in Wales. He may apply to be restored to the register but not until two years from the date of the decision has lapsed. Morris has the right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days.
