Teacher forged GP notes to hide fraud
Dec 17 2008 by Chris Robinson, The Journal
A TEACHER who forged sick notes from her doctor to cover up court appearances has been suspended.
Janet Adams lied to her school and claimed she was at hospital when she was actually in the dock at Sunderland Magistrates’ Court. Adams was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct at a hearing this week and banned from the classroom for four months.
The former teacher at Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College, County Durham, had already been given a three-month suspension by education chiefs for helping a friend to make false benefit claims two years ago.
In its hearing this week, the General Teaching Council panel heard that Ms Adams had completed a sickness absence form telling her employers she had a hospital appointment.
But the lie was told to cover the fact she was in the dock over the benefit fraud, of which she was convicted.
The teacher later forged two letters purporting to be from her GP to support her absence. The committee said Ms Adams’s conduct fell short of the standard expected of a registered teacher.
It added that her conduct “was serious in that on three separate occasions she acted in a dishonest manner in an effort to mislead her school.
“By so doing, Ms Adams fell short of the standards of honesty and integrity expected of a teacher and brought the reputation of the profession into serious disrepute.” The committee concluded that a disciplinary sanction was both necessary and appropriate.
It concluded that an aggravating feature in the case, forgery of the two letters, had arisen shortly after her appearance before the Professional Conduct Committee and that there had been “very little regard taken of the previous proceedings and findings of it”.
Ms Adams, of Houghton le Spring, who no longer works at the school, was given a four-month suspension, during which she will not be eligible to register as a teacher.
But she does has the right to appeal.
A spokesperson for Durham County Council said it could not comment on former members of staff.
Ms Adams … brought the reputation of the profession into serious disrepute.
