Teacher who said the arrow on his tie pointed to his “big penis” guilty of misconduct

A male teacher who told two teenage girl pupils his tie was ”an arrow pointing to my big penis” has been found guilty of misconduct. Rodney Williams, 45, made the comments to two Year Nine pupils during a design and technology class. After removing his tie to clean his glasses he told one of the girls, known as Pupil A: ”The only job my tie does is keep my neck warm and the arrow on the end points to my big penis.”

Williams, was hauled found guilty of misconduct by a disciplinary panel at the General Teaching Council (GTC). He received a reprimand which will stay on his record for two years which means he must inform future prospective employers about the incident. The hearing at Birmingham heard Williams was working as a supply teacher at St Thomas More Catholic School in London when he made the lewd comments on May 18, 2007.



The shocked pupils complained about the incident and he was hauled before the headteacher where he denied making the comments. He claimed he told Pupil A: ”It [The tie] keeps my neck warm in the winter but serves no other purpose and looks like a broad arrow pointing at the genitals.” But panel chairman Sue Townsend rejected Williams’ claims and ruled Pupil A’s evidence was ”proven”.

She also was rejected Williams’ claims he was trying to ”expand classroom discussion into how graphic imagery is used in advertising.” She said: ”The committee is in no doubt that the comment was demeaning to pupils and, in making it, Mr Williams failed to respect the boundary between teachers and pupils.Mr Williams’ professional conduct was unacceptable. It was conduct which fell short of the standards of propriety expected of a registered teacher.” Williams, from London, has 28 days to appeal the decision.