A secondary school teacher has been given the all-clear to return to teaching, despite being exposed for leading a double life as a porn star and stripper.
Benedict Garrett, a teacher at Beal High School, Ilford, worked from January 2008 until July 2010 as head of personal, social and health education.
Garrett is allowed to return to the classroom despite admitting to working as a stripper and appearing in pornographic adult films. The General Teaching Council for England (GTC) found Garrett guilty of professional misconduct on Thursday.
Derek Johns, chair of the GTC committee which heard the case, told Garrett they expected he had "sufficient insight and would not resume this behaviour" should he resume teaching.
"The committee is satisfied you recognise you overstepped the boundaries of the teacher/student relationship," Johns said.
"In relation to your involvement in the adult industry, your behaviour has not seriously affected pupils."
The junior teacher was allowed to teach unobserved despite the school's concern about his "over-familiar" lessons.
The 31-year-old was reported to have told a Year Seven pupil at his school what a vibrator was.
Johns added: "We accept you were not advised of the concerns about the over-familiar style of your teaching practise at the time. Further, the committee was concerned to hear you had not had support as a newly qualified teacher and lesson observations were not conducted until your final year at the school."
Garrett set up a Facebook account using a pseudonym and befriended students at Beal High following a school trip to Spain in 2009. He also regularly communicated with his students via texts, emails and Facebook about matters unrelated to the school, despite this breaching the code of conduct for registered teachers.
The former teacher's double life was discovered after a student reported finding a trailer for an adult film featuring Garrett. An investigation was launched by associate head teacher Miss Wilmot who later gave evidence to the committee against her former colleague.
Garrett admitted his activities in the adult industry but defended his conduct saying performing in adult films or working as a stripper was not illegal. He argued that a "significant proportion of the public" did not find his behaviour immoral nor regarded it as incompatible with teaching. He also questioned why other behaviours such as smoking and drinking were tolerated by the teaching profession, even though they are harmful activities.
Johns said: "Your activities are fundamentally incompatible with being a teacher. Teachers must demonstrate honesty and integrity and uphold public trust and confidence."
Under the pseudonym of Johnny Anglais, Garrett advertised his services for stripping, lap dancing and serving food at dinner parties dressed as a naked butler. His online gallery showed him posing as a fireman, policeman and a nearly naked "gentleman".
His website, where Garrett describes himself as a "man with a mission", could be easily accessed by pupils. Garrett describes his "mission" to "unashamedly demonstrate the art of pleasure in the realms of fitness, sex and entertainment."
Despite being found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct, Garrett was only reprimanded. His reprimand will remain on the teaching register for two years, after which it will expire.
A spokesperson for Beal High School said: “Our judgement was that Mr Garrett’s conduct was not compatible with that expected of a teacher. The General Teaching Council (GTC) have confirmed this judgement.”