Kaodi O’Loughlin Campbell has been banned from classrooms after admitting ‘unacceptable professional conduct’
Elmwood School in Rushall, Walsall (Image: Google )
A Birmingham primary school teacher who sent inappropriate Snapchat messages to a pupil she met at another school has been struck off.
Kaodi O’Loughlin Campbell worked at Ferndale Primary School in Great Barr.
But would also work at Elmwood School, a special secondary school for children with social, emotional and mental health needs, in Rushall, Walsall, as a supply teacher between September 2021 and May 2022.
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There, Ms O’Loughlin Campbell met a vulnerable pupil at the school and concerns were raised about social media contact between the two of them in January and May 2023.
That contact was considered by The Teaching Regulation Authority’s professional conduct panel meeting in January this year, with its report published in February.
The report reveals the teacher was asked about the messages with a boy, but she did not disclose anything.
But then, in October that year, the boy spoke out about the contact on Snapchat, and had screenshots of what had been said.
Kaodi O’Loughlin Campbell was employed at Ferndale Primary School in Great Barr (pictured) at the time of the incidents – but met the boy at another school, Elmwood School in Walsall (Image: Google )
Ms O’Loughlin Campbell had sent the boy her contact details and they became friends on Snapchat, exchanging messages.
In February 2023, she sent a message saying: “Make sure you delete all the messages from here.”
She also sent another message telling the pupil not to save her number under her name.
Then, in March 2023, she said: “Add me back on Snap.” And then a text saying: “Delete these messages.”
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In November 2023, the school interviewed Ms O’Loughlin Campbell, and she denied messaging any pupils from school on Snapchat after leaving in May 2022.
She added that her interactions with pupils were ‘always formal’.
But when shown the messages between her and the pupil from 2023, she admitted sending and receiving them.
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The TRA panel meeting found Ms O’Loughlin Campbell had engaged in ‘inappropriate communication’ with a former pupil between January and March 2023.
She had given her mobile number, exchanged messages, told the pupil to delete the messages and told them to contact her via Snapchat. The 34-year-old admitted the allegation.
She was also accused of knowing that the pupil was vulnerable, which she also admitted.
And that on several occasions in 2023 she falsely claimed she had not had any contact with the pupil.
That was considered to be ‘dishonest’ and an attempted ‘cover-up’ of her behaviour. Again, she admitted the allegation.
In addition, Ms O’Loughlin Campbell then admitted breaching professional boundaries with the pupil
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The TRA panel then considered whether the teacher had brought the profession into disrepute.
While the panel accepted Ms O’Loughlin Campbell had not acted with malicious intent, and that there was no evidence of direct harm to the pupil and although she had been ‘motivated by a desire to help the pupil’, it found she could have done this in other ways.
She had admitted being dishonest and trying to cover up the contact, and despite it happening after the pupil had left the school and she was no longer his teacher, the incidents were linked to her teacher role.
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The TRA panel found Ms O’Loughlin Campbell’s conduct ‘amounted to misconduct of a serious nature which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession’.
She was guilty of ‘unacceptable professional conduct’.
She also recognised how her conduct could be perceived and sent the boy a message saying: “I ain’t trying to move to you like that. I ain’t a pedo.
“I just think you’re a lovely person and I want the best for you”.
But the panel found her actions may bring the profession into disrepute.
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The TRA panel found it might be possible for Ms O’Loughlin Campbell to make a positive contribution to education in the future.
But considering all the elements, it recommended the Secretary of State for Education should impose a ban on teaching – a ‘prohibition order’ – with immediate effect.
However, it then said a two-year review period would be appropriate and would ‘give Ms O’Loughlin Campbell enough time to reflect fully and develop her insight’.
It said: “The panel recognised that she may not be working professionally with children but considered that this should not be a bar to her being able to demonstrate that she is safe to practise in future.”
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David Oatley, the decision maker from the TRA conduct panel, said: “In my judgement, Ms O’Loughlin Campbell’s lack of full insight into her breach of professional boundaries and dishonesty, and how she would act differently in future, means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils.
“I am particularly mindful of the finding of dishonesty in this case and the impact that such a finding has on the reputation of the profession.
“In my view, it is necessary to impose a prohibition order in order to maintain public confidence in the profession.
“I agree with the panel that allowing a 2-year review period is sufficient to achieve the aim of maintaining public confidence in the profession.”
This means that Ms Kaodi O’Loughlin Campbell is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. She may apply for the prohibition order to be set aside, but not until 29 January 2028, 2 years from the date of this order at the earliest.