Joseph Luttman, a former teacher at Marland School in Barnstaple, has been banned from the classroom after throwing a pupil out of an open doorway into the playground. The incident took place during a lesson when Pupil A and Pupil B were chasing each other around the classroom.
According to a statement of agreed facts, Mr Luttman pushed Pupil A, causing him to fall to the floor. After the pupil got up, the teacher pushed him into Pupil B twice before picking him up by the right arm and shoulder and throwing him onto the garden area outside. The pupil landed on his back.
The pupil's mother emailed the school on 7 September 2023 asking for an explanation, and later alleged her son had bruises, scrapes and marks on his body and head. A multi-agency meeting was convened, involving the school, the Local Authority Designated Officer, and the police.
Mr Luttman accepted a police caution in January 2024 for assault by beating contrary to section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) found that his actions were 'threatening and intimidating' and that he had fallen 'significantly short of the standards expected of the profession'.
The panel also noted that Mr Luttman had tried to distract Pupil A from reporting the incident to his mother by poking and tickling him while he was in a car seat. The assistant head teacher had initially told the mother that no accidents were reported and that the closest thing was a bump in the garden, which was described as a 'giggle'.
Mr Luttman has been prohibited from teaching indefinitely and is not entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.
