A high school teacher in the ACT, who was dismissed due to inappropriate conduct with students, has won his unfair dismissal case before the Fair Work Commission.
The Commission determined that the decision to terminate the teacher's employment was harsh. Deputy President Lyndall Dean ordered the ACT Education Directorate to pay the teacher five months' wages in compensation, rather than reinstating him. This amount was reduced by one month's wages due to his misconduct.
The allegations against the teacher, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, emerged in early 2024. He admitted to using the social media application BeReal to photograph three students in an ice bath at a sports recovery center, stating it was for promotion and a female staff member was present.
He also admitted to messaging one student on Instagram, participating in a group chat with four students on the same app, and discussing a touch football tournament with another student. Additionally, on two occasions, he drove students to sports matches or training.
The teacher admitted to six of the seven allegations from 2023, describing his actions as