Music teacher struck off for drunken sex with two students

A music teacher has been struck off for having drunken sex with two sixth formers from her school choir.

Laurie Softley, then 24, drank wine and spirits and had sex with the first 17-year-old while supposedly teaching him the recorder.

She was let off with a warning when the affair came to light, but had sex with another 17-year-old boy seven years later, which led to a police investigation and her resignation.

Ms Softley, now 34 and married, was employed at Ecclesbourne School academy in Belper, Derbyshire, as a choral music teacher from 2007 until September 2017.

In May 2008, she contacted the first teenager, referred to only as Pupil A, on Facebook and arranged to meet in a pub.

Ms Softley and Pupil A returned to her home, according to a judgement by the Teaching Regulation Agency.

"The panel finds that whilst at the property Ms Softley and Pupil A engaged in consensual sexual activity which included penetrative sex and Ms Softley performing oral sex on Pupil A," the judgement continued.

"The panel finds that both Ms Softley and Pupil A had consumed alcoholic drinks on this occasion. The panel also finds that on this date Pupil A was on the school's roll."

It was unclear how the scandal came to light, but there was an internal investigation during which Ms Softley admitted sexual activity had occurred between her and Pupil A.

In 2008, Ms Softley was issued with a final written warning for gross misconduct, the hearing was told.

But shortly before Christmas 2013, Ms Softley texted a second boy, known only as Pupil B, picked him up in her car and drove to her home where they drank alcohol.

After kissing the boy, Ms Softley fell asleep and Pupil B left in a taxi, but shortly afterwards she texted him again and persuaded him to come back to her house in a taxi.

After plying him with alcohol, Ms Softley engaged in a sex act with the teenager.

An investigation was launched after a teacher overheard pupils discussing rumours about an "inappropriate relationship" between Ms Softley and Pupil B.

Both denied anything had happened and the case was closed until 2017 when the boy, by then 23, told a counsellor what had happened.

Police investigated and interviewed Ms Softley. There were no criminal charges but Ms Softley resigned her post in September 2017.

The hearing in Coventry in November was told her drunken antics were a running joke among students.

The first victim told the Teaching Regulation Agency panel: "She poured us both wine. At some point we kissed. We continued to kiss and took off our tops.

"We went upstairs to her bedroom. Miss Softley took a condom from her bedside table drawer and we had sex."

The second sixth former said: "She took her shirt off. I saw her topless. I believe she took off her trousers because I performed a sex act on her.

Delivering its findings on Wednesday, the panel noted: "Ms Softley initiated and engaged, on separate occasions, in sexual activity with both Pupil A and Pupil B.

"Ms Softley's conduct in engaging in inappropriate sexual activity was repeated and on each occasion followed a similar pattern."

Banning her for life, decision maker Alan Meyrick, for the education secretary, underlined that despite having received a warning for her conduct towards Pupil A in 2008, Ms Softley went on to act in a similar way in respect of Pupil B.

"A prohibition order would therefore prevent such a risk from being present in the future," he continued.

"I have also taken into account the panel's comments 'that Ms Softley has not provided any satisfactory evidence of insight'.

"In my judgement, the lack of insight means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils.

"I have considered the panel's comments. Ms Softley has engaged in sexual activity with two pupils. This conduct had the potential to cause harm to Pupils A and B and both gave evidence of the adverse effect it had had upon them."

Derbyshire Police said: "A teacher from Ecclesbourne School was interviewed by Derbyshire police in March 2017 following allegations of having sex with a child.

"The teacher was interviewed and as a result no prosecutions were made and the case was referred to the Derbyshire Safeguarding Children's Board."