Ex-teacher banned from profession for raping child while serving as deputy head at primary school

Julie Morris, a former teacher, was working as a ‘safeguarding lead’ at St George’s Central Primary School in Tyldesley, near Wigan when she committed acts of “grave sexual depravity” with her boyfriend, David Morris. The pair engaged in sick conversations about sexually abusing children, which were revealed through chat logs analyzed by Merseyside Police. Between 2018 and 2021, Julie Morris and David Morris abused a girl under the age of 13 on multiple occasions, with David recording the abuse on his phone while Julie giggled. Julie took photographs of pupils and sent them to her partner, though they were not indecent or criminal.

In September 2021, police discovered the abuse when they followed messages shared by David Morris with another person arrested earlier that year. The couple was found planning to go on the run and were located in Hindley, Wigan. Julie Morris, who admitted to 18 sexual offenses, including two counts of rape, was sentenced to 13 years and four months in prison with an extended four years on license. David Morris, who admitted to 34 offenses including seven counts of rape, was sentenced to 16 years with an extended four years on license. Following her conviction, Julie Morris was referred to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA), where a panel found her actions to be “fundamentally incompatible with her being a teacher.”

The panel concluded that Julie Morris’ behavior went against the core duty of care expected from a teacher, especially since she was the safeguarding lead at the school. They deemed her offending to be at the most serious end of the sexual offending spectrum and noted the potential for lasting harm to the victim. While Julie Morris admitted her actions and expressed regret, the panel found her offending to be deliberate and sustained, with a real risk of repetition. As a result, she was indefinitely prohibited from teaching in any educational institution. The decision was made on February 27 by a decision maker acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, further stating that Julie Morris would not be entitled to apply for restoration of her teaching eligibility due to the seriousness of the allegations against her.

Despite none of the criminal charges being linked to Julie Morris’ employment at the school, police conducted multi-agency meetings with the local education authority, resulting in her being sacked from her position in September 2021. Her egregious actions were deemed shocking, given her role as a safeguarding lead. The report detailing the findings of the TRA panel highlighted the impact on public confidence in the teaching profession and emphasized the severity and deliberate nature of Julie Morris’ offending. The decision to indefinitely prohibit her from teaching underscores the gravity of her actions and the need to protect children in educational settings.