The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) in the UK declared that the public "would properly be outraged" by her actions, leading to a lifetime ban from the profession.
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Female teacher gets life ban from teaching for having sex with 15-year-old student
Kandice Barber, a 38-year-old former teacher, has been permanently barred from teaching after being found guilty of grooming a 15-year-old student and engaging in a sexual relationship with him.
Kandice Barber
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Barber, a mother of three, was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to six years and two months in prison for her egregious misconduct. The shocking revelations include explicit messages, inappropriate behaviour during school assemblies, and the sharing of sexually explicit images with the underage student.
During the affair, Barber sent the adolescent messages such as "You cannot make me blush while I am teaching now, poker face lol," creating an alarming breach of trust and authority. The 15-year-old also received explicit messages asking intimate questions, and Barber even shared a photo of herself lying on a bed surrounded by sex toys.
The misconduct came to light when a picture of Barber in the nude, given to the victim, circulated widely, eventually reaching the head teacher's desk. The trial judge criticized Barber for being 'beyond vile' in her actions and enticing the student with explicit messages and images.
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Even after the conviction, Barber continued to maintain her innocence, submitting a note to the misconduct panel proclaiming, "Despite the convictions, I have always proclaimed my innocence [sic]."
The TRA investigation revealed further details of Barber's actions, including threats to "take him down" if the victim revealed the illicit relationship to superiors. The panel chair, Susanne Staab, stated that Barber's actions amounted to a flagrant violation of her authority and a betrayal of trust, leaving the victim traumatized and isolated.
Education Secretary Sarah Buxcey, imposing a lifetime ban, emphasized the lack of remorse and insight demonstrated by Barber. "In my opinion, the lack of evidence of insight or remorse means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behavior, and this puts at risk the future well-being of pupils," Buxcey said.
The panel concluded that Barber's interests were subordinate to the public interest, deeming her actions so heinous that she is inherently unfit to teach in the future.
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