A maths teacher at a Liverpool high school exchanged 204 emails with a pupil in a communication that was found to be "inappropriate" and "excessive", but he has not been banned from teaching.
Jamil Wali was formerly employed at King's Leadership Academy, Liverpool, a secondary school and sixth form, as a mathematics teacher. The incidents occurred between January and March 2024, when it was alleged that Mr Wali did not maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
Emails outside working hours
The communication included emails with a pupil that were inappropriate or of a personal nature, were excessive, and were sent outside the academy's working hours. Mr Wali, who began teaching maths at King's Leadership Academy in 2022, had previously reported safeguarding concerns regarding the same pupil he later exchanged the messages with.
Between 9 January 2024 and 12 March 2024, Mr Wali's communication with the pupil allegedly added up to approximately 204 emails. Some of this communication occurred outside working hours and involved overly familiar language, alleged to be inconsistent with appropriate professional boundaries.
TRA panel findings
King's Leadership Academy suspended Mr Wali and referred the case to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA), who held a professional conduct panel. The TRA can impose an order that can prevent a person from teaching again, but in Mr Wali's case no order was made.
The TRA panel found that the content of the communication was highly personal and informal, with comments from Mr Wali including "you mean a lot to me", "I am always here", "I got your back", and "that's what friends are for". The panel also observed that he used informal and colloquial language, including phrases such as "bro just say it" and "wasteman". He also spoke to the pupil about her friendships, family circumstances, and relationships.
Mr Wali was also found to have shared aspects of his own personal experiences, including references to past romantic relationships, stating in one email, "I used to be obsessed with certain someone for such a long time" and "until one day I woke up and chose violence and deleted her".
No prohibition order
During the panel, Mr Wali stated that his intention had been to support the student because he was concerned about her welfare and wellbeing. He did however accept that it was not his role to become personally involved in her care and that safeguarding concerns should have been referred to the appropriate professionals.
The panel decided that Mr Jamil Wali should not be the subject of a prohibition order, which means that he is not banned from teaching. Deciding not to impose an order, the panel recommended that the findings - of unacceptable professional conduct and conduct likely to bring the profession into disrepute - should be published and that such an action is proportionate and in the public interest.
