A male teacher who hit an eight-year-old girl on the head with a book has been banned from the classroom for a year.
In a long-running case, the teacher, who cannot be named, was suspended and referred to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) in August 2021.
It was a disciplinary proceeding after he was accused of indecent treatment of children under the age of 12, involving allegations of a sexual nature.
However, that charge was dropped by prosecutors and the tribunal ruled that it did not have sufficient information to deal with it.
QCAT instead focused on an allegation that the teacher hit the young girl with a book, the Courier mail reported.
A male teacher who hit an eight-year-old girl on the head with a book has been banned from the classroom for a year. Stock image
The child’s mother said her daughter told her the teacher had embarrassed her by hitting her over the head with her schoolwork in front of the class.
The court heard the school’s principal said the teacher hit the girl on the head with a book, and although he did not mean to hurt her, it was still inappropriate.
The principal told police that the teacher was very upset and admitted that he may have hit the child on the head with a rolled up worksheet.
“I remember him wanting to apologize and feeling bad about making a student feel that way,” she said in a statement.
The girl was removed from that teacher’s class but “continued to suffer until she revealed her pain and humiliation in a text message to an unknown friend six years later,” QCAT was told.
The tribunal found that the teacher ‘behaved in a manner that fell short of the standard of behavior normally expected of a teacher’.
His registration to teach has been canceled and he may not apply to have it returned until February 19, 2025.
In order to renew his registration, he must provide a psychological report to the College of Teachers, which regulates the profession.
This report must show that he is aware of and understands what is and is not the right way to interact with students.