Hampshire teacher banned over sexual comments to pupils

A teacher accused of making inappropriate and sexual comments to pupils has been banned from the profession.

Steven Battye, 59, was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct by the Teaching Regulation Agency.

The panel said the breaches included invading the personal space of a pupil and repeatedly commenting on another pupil’s genitals while working at two Hampshire secondary schools.

In a written statement, Battye admitted making unprofessional comments “several times” and apologised for any upset he may have caused.

The allegations against Battye relate to the period between 2019 and 2021, while he was working at Brighton Hill Community School in Basingstoke and The Romsey School.

The panel found that in 2019, while at Brighton Hill, Battye invaded a female pupil’s personal space in a way that left her feeling uncomfortable.

It also found he used inappropriate and sexual language in front of pupils, which included reeling off a list of offensive terms to describe female genitalia.

While at The Romsey School, Battye was found to have made several comments and gestures suggesting a pupil had a small penis.

The panel also found he made comments alluding to oral sex to two female pupils during a science lesson.

It accepted that, while the sexual comments breached professional standards, they did not amount to sexual misconduct.

All but one of the allegations were found proven on the balance of probabilities, and a prohibition order was made on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education.

It indefinitely prohibits Battye from teaching.

He can apply for the order to be set aside after five years, in 2030.