A secondary school maths teacher has been prohibited from teaching indefinitely after a police raid uncovered hundreds of stolen bank card and online banking details on his personal devices.
The Discovery and Police Caution
Louis Ssekabira admitted he was "planning to commit fraud" after officers searched his home in 2020. The raid revealed 262 sets of card details and 69 stolen online banking logins on his laptop, with further data found on two separate iPhones.
At the time of the raid, Mr Ssekabira was teaching at Droitwich Spa High School in Worcestershire. He later moved to Bishop Challoner Catholic School in London, and it was in 2021 that he accepted a formal police caution for possession of articles used to commit fraud.
Failure to Disclose and Flawed Explanation
The professional misconduct panel, run by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA), heard that Mr Ssekabira failed to inform his school about the police caution. His actions only came to light after a police officer contacted the school directly.
When confronted by colleagues, he claimed he had purchased the laptop from Gumtree and discovered the stolen details already on it. He reportedly told staff he became "sort of excited by this" and showed the information to people, but insisted he did not use it.
He further explained his failure to delete the data by saying he "grew up in bad company and was trying to get away from it all." A witness stated Mr Ssekabira did not tell the school because "he was hoping it would all go away and nobody would find out."
Panel's Verdict and Teaching Ban
The panel rejected his account, noting it failed to explain why the stolen details were present on multiple devices. They found him guilty of "misconduct of a serious nature" which fell far short of professional standards.
Despite receiving glowing character references that praised his "great leadership and pastoral skills," the panel concluded his actions had "fundamentally undermined" trust. They stated that "dishonesty of this severity is not compatible with acting as a role model to pupils."
As a result, Louis Ssekabira has been barred from teaching for a minimum of five years, after which the decision will be reviewed. The panel expressed concern over his lack of full transparency with his employer and the extent of his insight into his actions.
