A professional standards panel has heard shocking allegations against a married former headteacher who is accused of exposing his erect penis to a colleague in his office.
Shocking Allegations Emerge
James Richards, the former headteacher of Cadle Primary School in Swansea, faces several serious accusations relating to his time at the school. The Education Workforce Council (EWC) hearing was told that Richards invited a female colleague into his office more than ten years ago where she found him with his trousers pulled down and his erect penis visible.
The woman, referred to as Colleague B, described how Richards had been "flirty" on the day of the alleged incident before phoning her and asking her to collect a form from his office. "I knew he was expecting me to walk in and pick up the form," she told the hearing. Upon entering, she saw Richards standing with his trousers down, "with his erect penis out."
Multiple Accusations Surface
Colleague B told the presiding officer, Sara Lewis, that Richards was "smirking" during the encounter. The alleged incident had a profound effect on the woman, who later left her job at the school. She described feeling "worthless" and "awful," adding "I found out who my friends were" in the aftermath.
Another witness, Colleague C, gave evidence about two separate alleged incidents in 2013. She described how in June 2013, Richards made a comment about comparing her breasts with his wife's during a meeting in his office. Then in July 2013, she alleged he showed her a picture of his penis on his mobile phone while they were in the school's computer suite.
"I knew I wanted to get out of the room as quickly as possible," Colleague C told the hearing. "I was very panicked. I felt uneasy about the situation."
Ongoing Proceedings and Consequences
The hearing continues to examine these allegations alongside another claim heard on Monday that Richards exposed his penis to a teacher and told her "inspect this, miss." All allegations are being treated as denied by Richards, who was not present or represented at the hearing and has not responded to the EWC.
Richards was formally suspended from his post on September 13, 2021, and was ultimately dismissed in 2024. The professional standards hearing, expected to last five days, continues to examine the serious misconduct claims against the former headteacher.
