Teacher struck off after ridiculing school's gender identity policy

A teacher has been struck off after ridiculing her school's gender identity policy and posting transphobic comments online. 

Camilla Hannan, 54, posted offensive remarks including 'where I teach the trans kids are untouchable' while working at the school in Manchester.  

The teacher, who had been employed at the school since 2001, also wrote of trans students: 'They get everything they ask for and everyone, staff and other students alike, is petrified of upsetting them. They don't seem oppressed to me more like oppressors tbh.'

Hannan admitted all the allegations against her and accepted they amounted to unacceptable professional conduct.

A Teaching Regulation Agency misconduct hearing said the behaviour demonstrated a lack of tolerance and respect for the rights and beliefs of others.

Hannan began working at the unnamed school in September 2001. In May 2023 a whistleblower told the school about Hannan's tweets and a month later she quit.

The panel found her tweets were offensive and dismissive of pupils, with one particular student having the emotional upheaval they were going through belittled. 

The panel said the teacher 'repeatedly misgendered the pupil, believed to be Pupil A, on more than one occasion and found this was clearly offensive and transphobic'.

The panel also accepted she was a well respected teacher who colleagues said was 'caring and compassionate'.

Hannan said in a statement she did 'not bear trans people any malice or ill will' and she respected 'their right to live as they please, and to ask others to refer to them by names and pronouns of their choice'.

She stated she had concerns with the use of gender ideology in schools which 'stemmed from a deep commitment to the safety and well being of all the children' in her care.

The teacher said she turned to social media to express some of her 'pent up frustration, anger and deep concern' with some of the policies and leadership at the school, which she conceded was 'poor judgement'.

She also admitted commenting: 'Where I teach we have gender identity policy [roll eyes emoji] it's a load of nonsensical rubbish, as you'd imagine'.

She also wrote: 'The autistic/ASD (redacted) I teach are all plastered with trans flags and badges, without exception.'

The panel said she had a 'deep seated attitude' and it was not acceptable to have posted her views on social media in a damaging way to the profession, the school and Pupil A who she had 'outed'.

Decision maker Marc Cavey said Hannan may ask for the ban to be set aside in two years time.