A military training instructor told teenage pupils he was looking forward to spending the night with his partner after she had got lip filler. A professional standards committee heard that Samuel Harvey made a series of inappropriate comments to teenagers while working in a pupil referral unit in Pembrokeshire.
The Education Workforce Council (EWC) Wales fitness to practise committee also found it proved that Harvey, who worked at Pembrokeshire Learning Centre, had offered a pupil free entry to a nightclub, told a learner he had been arrested over the summer, and accused another learner of starting a fire in a multi-storey car park. Harvey – who was employed as an instructor with the Military Preparation College for Training, which is now known as the Learning Curve Group – was also found to have left a vape pen on a school desk while learners were in the room.
Panel chair Michelle McBreeze said: "Mr Harvey showed poor judgement and a disregard for the responsibilities of a registered person. He did not engage with the EWC and there was no evidence of regret, remorse, or insight." She told the hearing he had shown a "concerning lack of judgement about professional boundaries" but while unprofessional his actions had been "misguided rather than malicious".
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Harvey did not attend the hearing, did not respond to the allegations, and was not represented so all allegations were taken as denied by him. A raft of other allegations against him were found not proven.
Those allegations the committee did find proven were also judged to have amounted to unacceptable professional conduct. The panel imposed a reprimand on his registration which means Harvey will be able to work in education settings but will have to disclose the reprimand, which stays on his record for two years .
Panel chair Michelle McBreeze said Harvey had a previous good record but had not engaged in the three-day EWC hearing, which concluded on Thursday, and had shown no remorse or insight for the allegations found proven. It was not clear where he was now working and he had provided no references.
The following allegations against Harvey were found proven: that while working as a work-based learning practitioner as a Military Preparation College for Training Schools lead instructor teacher at Learning Curve Group Harvey had, In or around September 2022, made one or more of the following inappropriate comments to learners, or while in their presence, in that he:
- Advised a learner that he (Harvey) had been arrested over the summer
- Offered a learner free access to the Loft nightclub
- Told learners words to the effect of he was looking forward to going home and spending the night with his partner after she had got lip filler and;
- Accused a learner of starting a fire in a multi-storey car park.
A separate allegation that at some time during 2022 he had left a vape pen on a school desk while learners were in the room was also found proved.
A raft of other allegations against Mr Harvey were also considered but found not proved by the panel. It was found not proved that Harvey had, between September 2022 and January 2023, made one or more of the following inappropriate comments to learners or while in their presence:
- Commented that Learner H should bring a rape whistle on an expedition
- Referenced the ‘sexual tension’ between Learners J and K.
- Made racist comments regarding Jewish and Muslim people
- Described Learner I as being fat and lazy or words to that effect, and
- Implied that he hit his partner and/or ex-partner when she did not listen to him.
The panel also found an allegations that in the same timeframe he confiscated Learner D’s phone during a lesson and used it to take photos of pupils from behind unproved. The committee also found separate allegations that during 2022 Harvey had vaped on school premises and drunk energy drinks banned on school premises not proved.
For the allegations that were found proved the panel ordered a reprimand that will stay on Harvey's registration for two years. He has the right to appeal to the High Court within 28 days.
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