A PE teacher who told migrants to ‘respect our laws or leave’ has been banned from the classroom despite an independent teaching panel clearing him of racism and recommending he keep his job.
Sam Everett taught PE at Haughton Academy in Darlington for two years while using a Twitter/X account to share his views on politics and current affairs.
His views included what some might regard as quite mainstream positions – including calling for the Navy to be deployed to stop small boats crossing the Channel.
Mr Everett, from Middlesbrough, was open about being a teacher but did not mention where he taught. Despite this, someone worked out where he was employed and reported him to the school, prompting an investigation.
Mr Everett admitted the Twitter account was his but denied that any of his posts were racist or sexist.
He was hauled before a Teaching Regulation Agency professional conduct panel – the body responsible for deciding whether teachers should be struck off – which heard the case over three days in January and February this year.
After hearing the evidence in full, the panel agreed with Mr Everett that he was neither racist nor sexist and recommended he should keep his job, concluding that publication of its findings alone would be sufficient punishment.
Officials at the Department for Education then overruled that recommendation, concluding the panel had ‘failed to give sufficient weight’ to the seriousness of his conduct – and banned him from teaching indefinitely.
Sam Everett was struck off as a PE teacher after someon reported his X account to his employers. In one, he posted ‘if you don’t respect our laws, culture and way of life you should leave, nobody is forcing you to stay’
Mr Everett was initially said he was not racist or sexist and advised against a ban but the Secretary of State’s decision-maker overruled the panel and banned him anyway. He lost his job at Haughton Academy in June 2024
Among the posts the investigation focused on were:
‘Completely agree, if you don’t respect our laws, culture and way of life you should leave, nobody is forcing you to stay. We don’t go to other peoples countries and tell them they’re wrong for how they go about things.’
In response to a post saying ‘The law of Allah is superior to your laws’, he wrote: ‘Sick of hearing rubbish being spouted by these idiots. They can live in societies where their values are accepted, it isn’t here. Leave. You won’t be missed.’
In response to a Britain First post describing migrants as ‘illegal migrant invaders’ approaching British shores, he wrote: ‘Deploy the navy.’
The panel found the posts offensive, noting it implied advocating the use of military force against unarmed people in small boats.
Mr Everett said he had been unaware Britain First was a far-right organisation when he replied.
Another post read: ‘There’s not an Islamist problem in our country according to some. How many times do we get called racists for being English? These people come from the most intolerable and barbaric places you can imagine and think they have more rights than us. Bore off.’
He also wrote that anyone who uses the word ‘comrade’ ‘deserves to be shipped to Russia’, and when pro-Palestine protesters were picketing McDonald’s he wrote: ‘Feel like ordering 20 nuggets every time I see these idiots.’
In response to a post asking whether Eddie Izzard should be allowed in women-only toilets and changing rooms, he replied simply: ‘No.’ The panel found this post did not cross the threshold into offensive conduct.
While the panel upheld a number of complaints – finding several posts offensive and concluding Mr Everett had demonstrated a lack of tolerance – it stopped well short of branding him racist or sexist, and recommended against a ban.
It noted that colleagues had spoken highly of him, that he had an unblemished record teaching pupils from all backgrounds, and that a subsequent employer had taken him on through an agency in full knowledge of the misconduct hearing – and said he would have no hesitation hiring him again.
The panel’s report said Mr Everett had ‘demonstrated insight and remorse from the point at which the concerns were raised’ and had deleted his posts and closed his social media accounts. It concluded there was ‘no significant ongoing risk of repetition.’
Despite that, the Secretary of State’s decision-maker overruled the panel and imposed the ban, saying a published finding alone would not ‘satisfy the public interest requirement concerning public confidence in the profession.’
The panel’s report noted: ‘Mr Everett had, by his own admission, failed to successfully apply the necessary privacy controls and he was identifiable as a teacher on his profile. Although the school was not referred to, there was plainly enough information available to enable someone to email the school to express concerns about Mr Everett’s posts.’
He was dismissed by Haughton Academy in June 2024 and is now banned from teaching indefinitely.
He must serve at least two years before he can apply to be reinstated – with no guarantee of success.
Mr Everett was not available for comment.
