Latest news with #StudentA
The Independent
5 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Paramedic asked student out for dinner and offered to remove her tampon during medical emergency
A paramedic has been struck off the register after offering to remove a student's tampon while she was suffering a medical emergency. James Birdseye, who was employed by South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust, told the student he wanted to see her naked and that he had 'slept with other students' while they worked a shift together on June 22 2019. He then conducted a clinical examination of the student without her consent after she had started to unexpectedly bleed, before pulling down her trousers and underwear without permission and making inappropriate remarks about her genital area, according to a Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) tribunal panel. The panel found Mr Birdseye's behaviour was 'predatory in nature' and the emergency had given him 'an opportunity to exploit the situation to gain sexual gratification'. The paramedic also kissed the student on her cheek and offered to take her out for a meal and drinks during the incident. Mr Birdseye was suspended by the trust four days after the incident, and resigned from his role on November 4 2019 following an internal investigation. In a statement provided for a review hearing into the matter on May 19 2025, Mr Birdseye said he was 'deeply regretful' of his actions and apologised for any harm or distress he caused to the student. He said: 'I can accept that in the events leading up to the incident with Student A, I displayed an overfamiliarity with them that crossed the boundaries of a normal professional relationship and I acted in a manner than I am not proud of. 'I did not give enough thought to the impact that my behaviour could have on Student A who was in a vulnerable state. 'While I do not agree to having maliciously used this vulnerable state to pursue a sexual relationship with them, I do concede that my behaviour fell drastically short not only of what the profession expected of me but what I should have expected of myself nor only as a practising paramedic but as a person, a mentor and a father of teenage children.' Mr Birdseye said he had undertaken a course on maintaining professional boundaries following the incident, adding: 'I did not adequately alter my view of Student A from colleague to patient'. The HCPC panel found Mr Birdseye's behaviour caused the student 'emotional harm and unwanted sexual harassment' and amounted to serious professional misconduct. 'The panel finds that the registrant's conduct on 22 June 2019 was predatory in nature as Student A was new to the workplace, the registrant had deliberately manipulated the crew rota sheets to ensure he was working with her, there was a power imbalance, and his comments across the day were said in an attempt to establish a future sexual relationship with Student A,' the panel said. 'To this extent the conduct was premeditated, demonstrated an abuse of his professional position and was not isolated in nature. 'The subsequent medical emergency, which could not have been foreseen, gave the registrant an opportunity to exploit the situation to gain sexual gratification.' The panel made an order to strike the paramedic's name from the register after determining his fitness to practise remains impaired, having initially suspended the paramedic for a period of 12 months in April last year. They said: 'While the panel note that the registrant does not wish to return to practice, this may change in the future and not restricting him, given the seriousness of the allegation found proven, would undermine public confidence in the profession and the HCPC.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Paramedic struck off after offering to take out student's tampon in emergency
A paramedic has been struck off the register after offering to remove a student's tampon while she was suffering a medical emergency. James Birdseye, who was employed by South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust, told the student he wanted to see her naked and that he had 'slept with other students' while they worked a shift together on June 22 2019. He then conducted a clinical examination of the student without her consent after she had started to unexpectedly bleed, before pulling down her trousers and underwear without permission and making inappropriate remarks about her genital area, according to a Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) tribunal panel. The panel found Mr Birdseye's behaviour was 'predatory in nature' and the emergency had given him 'an opportunity to exploit the situation to gain sexual gratification'. The paramedic also kissed the student on her cheek and offered to take her out for a meal and drinks during the incident. Mr Birdseye was suspended by the trust four days after the incident, and resigned from his role on November 4 2019 following an internal investigation. In a statement provided for a review hearing into the matter on May 19 2025, Mr Birdseye said he was 'deeply regretful' of his actions and apologised for any harm or distress he caused to the student. He said: 'I can accept that in the events leading up to the incident with Student A, I displayed an overfamiliarity with them that crossed the boundaries of a normal professional relationship and I acted in a manner than I am not proud of. 'I did not give enough thought to the impact that my behaviour could have on Student A who was in a vulnerable state. 'While I do not agree to having maliciously used this vulnerable state to pursue a sexual relationship with them, I do concede that my behaviour fell drastically short not only of what the profession expected of me but what I should have expected of myself nor only as a practising paramedic but as a person, a mentor and a father of teenage children.' Mr Birdseye said he had undertaken a course on maintaining professional boundaries following the incident, adding: 'I did not adequately alter my view of Student A from colleague to patient'. The HCPC panel found Mr Birdseye's behaviour caused the student 'emotional harm and unwanted sexual harassment' and amounted to serious professional misconduct. 'The panel finds that the registrant's conduct on 22 June 2019 was predatory in nature as Student A was new to the workplace, the registrant had deliberately manipulated the crew rota sheets to ensure he was working with her, there was a power imbalance, and his comments across the day were said in an attempt to establish a future sexual relationship with Student A,' the panel said. 'To this extent the conduct was premeditated, demonstrated an abuse of his professional position and was not isolated in nature. 'The subsequent medical emergency, which could not have been foreseen, gave the registrant an opportunity to exploit the situation to gain sexual gratification.' The panel made an order to strike the paramedic's name from the register after determining his fitness to practise remains impaired, having initially suspended the paramedic for a period of 12 months in April last year. They said: 'While the panel note that the registrant does not wish to return to practice, this may change in the future and not restricting him, given the seriousness of the allegation found proven, would undermine public confidence in the profession and the HCPC.'
News.com.au
7 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Newington College student loses bid to challenge the elite school's move to coeducation
A student of a prestigious Sydney school has lost his bid to challenge the school's controversial move to coeducation. Newington College in Sydney's inner west announced in 2023 the school would accept both boys and girls over a staged move from 2026 onwards. The school, which boasts yearly tuition fees of up to more than $45,000, will accept girls to kindergarten and year 5 from next year, while the senior campus will accept girls in year 7 and year 11 from 2028. The decision immediately sparked controversy among the school's community, prompting a current student to take the matter to Sydney's Supreme Court. The student, who can only be known as Student A, filed a lawsuit in December 2024. The case hinged on the terminology in the school's 1873 Deed of Indenture, with the statement of claim arguing the words 'an efficient course of education for youth' is 'limited to the advancement of education of boys and young men'. Justice Guy Parker handed down his final judgment on Tuesday afternoon, finding that the terminology was used 'in a gender neutral sense'. '(I have) concluded that the word youth … was used in a gender neutral sense and does not mandate male-only enrolment at the College,' Justice Parker told the court. The statement of claim also argued the use of the College's property 'for coeducation would be a breach of (Newington's) trust', which Judge Parker ordered be dismissed. Student A was ordered to pay the legal costs. Tuition for the elite school spans up to $45,369 for those in years 11 and 12, with the fees for those in years 5 and 6 reaching $35,487. The decision to move to a co-ed model was reached after consulting with members of the school community, the judgment states. However, it 'remained controversial among some parents and alumni'. 'In particular, it was claimed that assurances had been given in the course of fundraising that the college would remain a single-sex school,' the judgment states. 'Those particular allegations are not relevant for the purpose of these proceedings. The litigation before the court is concerned only with the council's power to introduce coeducation, and not with the merits of that decision.' Newington's headmaster said the school 'remain excited to build on our rich history and traditions by taking Newington into our next era' in a statement released on Tuesday afternoon. 'We are optimistic that today's determination will now pave the way for our community to move forward together,' the statement read. 'We thank our staff, students, and families for their ongoing support and faith in our direction and leadership. 'We look forward now to uniting around our future vision for Newington College as a respected, modern and dynamic school for boys, girls, young men and young women from next year and into the future.'
ABC News
7 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Supreme Court clears the way for Newington College to accept female students
The Supreme Court has shot down a legal bid to stop a 162-year-old school for male students in Sydney's inner west from accepting females next year onwards. Newington College, an affluent private school with more than 2,000 male students in Stanmore, announced plans to become co-educational in late 2023. But some students, parents and alumni — commonly called 'old boys' — were outraged by the decision, circulating a petition before launching a court action in the Supreme Court of NSW. The case was brought by Student A — who attended the school and had their identity suppressed by the court to protect their privacy — as he was against the Newington College Council and 25 other defendants. Lawyers for Student A claimed the school was formed to teach males, pointing to a trust deed from 1873 that described Newington College as "an efficient college for youth", arguing "the term 'youth' is limited to the advancement of education of boys and young men". Justice Guy Parker dismissed the argument in Wednesday's ruling. "I have concluded that the word 'youth' in the 1873 trust deed was used in a gender-neutral sense, and does not mandate male-only enrolment at the college," he said. The Save Newington College group issued a statement mere minutes after the ruling, expressing their disappointment. "Today's decision, while respected, is at odds with the understanding held by generations of Old Boys, parents, staff, and community members — that Newington was founded, funded and entrusted as a school for boys, consistent with the original deeds," the statement read. "The campaign by Student A to protect Newington's heritage has never been about resisting change. The Newington College Council can now forge ahead with accepting enrolments in the school, where tuition ranges from $26,217 for kindergarten to $45,369 for years 11 and 12. Female students can join the primary school in 2026 and the secondary school from 2028, with the institution to become completely coeducational by 2030.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
B.C. teacher agrees to 15-year ban over sexual relationship with Grade 12 student
A B.C. teacher has agreed to the cancellation of his teaching certificate and a 15-year ban on applying for a new one after admitting to having a sexual relationship with a student. The office of B.C.'s Commissioner for Teacher Regulation published an anonymized summary of its consent agreement with the teacher on its website Tuesday. The document withholds the teacher's name and other key information in order to protect the identity of the student 'who was harmed, abused or exploited' in the case. It does not say where in B.C. the misconduct occurred, nor does it indicate the student's gender. According to the document, the teacher held a subject-restricted independent school teaching certificate and was employed as a secondary school teacher until August 2024. At that time, following a report from the school's principal to the commissioner, he signed an undertaking not to teach in any role requiring certification from the provincial Ministry of Education and Child Care. The consent agreement summary indicates the student – referred to as 'Student A' throughout – was one of the teacher's pupils. 'When Student A was in Grade 12, the teacher breached professional boundaries by allowing Student A to confide in him and become dependent on him,' the document reads, adding that the teacher made inappropriate physical contact by touching 'the back of Student A's bare knees' on several occasions. 'On the day Student A graduated from the school, the teacher kissed Student A,' the document continues. 'Student A told the teacher that they loved him. The teacher responded by saying that he loved Student A too.' The teacher also 'engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship' with the student 'around the time of Student A's graduation,' according to the document. It does not specify whether the relationship became sexual before or after the student graduated. According to the summary, the teacher admitted that this conduct constituted professional misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a teacher, and agreed to the certificate cancellation and teaching ban. The summary lists three factors that led the commissioner to conclude these sanctions were appropriate. First, the inappropriate relationship 'arose out of the teacher-student relationship.' Second, the teacher 'demonstrated a serious failure to maintain appropriate boundaries.' And third, the teacher 'engaged in conduct which damaged a student's emotional safety and well-being.'
