A former English teacher at a public school in Kent has been found guilty of serious misconduct after touching pupils' legs and instructing them to sing inappropriate song lyrics. James Coltella, who taught at Tonbridge School, blamed his Italian heritage for his 'tactile' behaviour, a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel heard.
Mr Coltella had asked pupils to sing sections of the song 'Marvin Gaye' by Charlie Puth, which includes lyrics such as 'king size to ourselves' and 'it's a Karma Sutra show and tell'. A witness statement from one pupil described how Mr Coltella would 'walk up and down the line, searching for eye contact'.
The panel also heard that Mr Coltella touched two pupils on their shoulders, knees and legs during one-to-one meetings. One pupil, referred to as Pupil A, recalled that 'touching my knee would also happen when he would laugh' and that the teacher would 'rub his thumb to comfort me, like someone would do if you were crying'. The pupil also said Mr Coltella asked for a hug several times, leading them to avoid him.
The TRA panel found nine of the 25 allegations proven, concluding that Mr Coltella's actions were serious and amounted to misconduct. However, it ruled not to ban him from the profession, noting positive character references describing him as 'outstanding' and 'inspirational'.
In a statement, Mr Coltella said: 'My Italian heritage and upbringing fostered a demonstrative manner; however, the need to think about how your actions are received by others has now been acutely understood. I have learnt many lessons from this terrible situation and only ever wanted the best for others. There was never any malicious intent and I am deeply sorry for any emotional harm I may have caused.'
