Montrose primary school teacher flung book across classroom and called colleagues terrorist sympathisers

A primary school teacher who was convicted of being threatening or abusive by throwing a book across a classroom and acting aggressively towards young children has been struck from the register.

Phillipe Magalon, a registered French, history and modern studies secondary teacher, was brought before the General Teaching Council for a fitness-to-teach inquiry.

The teacher was convicted in August 2020 at Forfar Sheriff Court of behaving aggressively towards children in his care at a primary School, Montrose in February 2019.

Magalon repeatedly shouted and banged his hands down on a table in the presence of children and threw a book across the classroom, causing it to strike a wall or bookcase.

The GTC heard that between February and June 2019, Magalon posted a series of videos, images, and comments on his personal Facebook page, attacking Travellers, single mothers, Catholics, women wearing face coverings, and Isis bride Shamima Begum.

He also posted a meme of Kermit the Frog with a wine bottle directed towards an unnamed person, claiming they were “spreading rumours about me” and included a derogatory comment.

The GTC found Magalon’s comments, which were posted publicly and could be viewed by parents, pupils, staff and members of the public, to be offensive, inflammatory and/or discriminatory.

The panel also heard Magalon sent a text to a witness in March 2020, which stated colleagues were “snowflakes” and “terrorist sympathisers”.

The message continued: “I neither forgive nor forget therefore those who have wronged me will bear the brunt of my anger and will not be forgotten.”

The message was deemed to be threatening.

Finally, in January 2021, Magalon took aim at the General Teaching Council itself in an email regarding the coronavirus pandemic, stating: “The GTC decide to take their fingers out of their asses and publish something, something that is obviously completely inadequate and irrelevant. Bravo and thank you (not).”

It was found that Magalon’s actions lacked integrity.

The panel heard Magalon had been due to attend the hearing in May over his conduct, but did not owing to a “childcare emergency”.

Magalon was notified in advance that he may be excluded from proceedings, and it was offered to him that he could submit written representations.

However, he chose not to do so, and instead had responded by saying, among other things: “YOU WANT TO EXCLUDE ME, FINE…”.

In his absence, the GTC found all the allegations made against Magalon were proven.

It was found his criminal conviction represented a breach of trust over his conduct in the classroom, while his Facebook posts were found to be “dehumanising, hostile, insulting and degrading towards minority groups” as well as endorsing gender-based discrimination and violence in general as well as demonstrating “misogyny, exclusion, and contempt”.

The GTC said allowing a teacher with such abusive and intolerant views into the classroom could create a risk to learners.

Magalon was also found to have shown no insight or remorse over his behaviour, while his recent interactions with the teaching body were branded “inappropriate and insistent”.

It added “recent communications from the Teacher had, if anything, aggravated matters” and there was a risk of Magalon repeating his behaviour.

As a result, Magalon was struck from the teaching register and will be allowed to reapply in two years.