Australian teacher told children to 'f--- off and go home'

A teacher in Australia, who was under scrutiny for snapping a girl student's bra strap, told students to 'f--- off and go home', a tribunal has heard. Former Queensland state school physical education teacher David Doherty, 49, was also under scrutiny for joking about a boy's sexuality. The incidents were among nine cases cited by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal last month when it banned Doherty from re-applying for teaching registration for at least a year.

Doherty, who was employed by Education Queensland until his resignation in October 2007, was conducting a physical education class for students when one of the incidents occurred. 'During the lesson, one of the students was physically bullied by the other students and this incident required management by Doherty,' the tribunal said in a written decision.



'At the end of the class, Doherty said to the class words to the effect that they were 'little shits' and to 'f--- off and go home'.' The tribunal also heard about other times when Doherty swore at or about misbehaving students, the report said.

In yet another incident referred to by the tribunal, Doherty approached a girl student from behind and pulled on her bra strap in the presence of a student's parent. The tribunal found Doherty was unsuitable to teach. It said he was not aware of appropriate discipline techniques and behaviour around students. Doherty, who had been registered as a teacher until March last year, was banned from re-applying for registration until late next year at the earliest.