Selwyn_Times: April 20, 2022

Wednesday April 20 2022 Selwyn Times
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
NEWS 5
over students, sex and drugs podcast
“Later in the podcast, Mr
Stokes refers to the Teaching
Council and to arriving at work
still slightly high on drugs,” said
the tribunal decision.
Stokes said: “Teaching Council,
if you’re listening to this, please
don’t revoke my licence.”
“Directly after discussing
arriving at work slightly high
on drugs, Mr Stokes discusses a
former colleague’s inappropriate
relationship with a student,
in a derogatory way,” said the
tribunal.
Stokes claimed that if a teacher
was going to have a relationship
with a student they should “wait
until they are 16 at least”.
“And then you won’t go to jail,
you’ll just lose your teaching
licence.”
Stokes then went on to read
out the work of two students –
naming them on the podcast and
speaking about an ex-girlfriend
who sent him “a couple of nudes”.
Stokes also referred to “being
stoned” at university.
At the hearing Stokes “accepted
he was naive in waiting to be
invited to be involved in editing
the podcast”.
He said he was “naive in
agreeing to the podcast at all
and accepts that much of the
content and discussion was not
appropriate”.
Stokes accepted he showed a
lack of professional judgment and
that it was unprofessional to provide
the recount of the students’
work.
He claimed he “deeply regrets
using the students’ names and
speaking of a student’s work in a
derisory manner”.
Stokes told the tribunal that
“all comments made about drug
use were completely fabricated
stories, made up for the purpose
of comedic dialogue”.
“Mr Stokes states he has never
engaged in recreational drug use
and that he rarely even drinks
alcohol,” the tribunal said.
Stokes told the tribunal he
“made a colossal mistake in
participating in the podcast” and
“regardless of his misguided belief
of anonymity, he was wrong
to even consider recording”.
He was embarrassed and
ashamed by his actions and
had “reached the boundaries of
what should and should not be
made public knowledge, and let
everyone down, especially the
students”.
“He understands his duty
of care to students, and he has
Stokes was
employed at
Hornby High
School at
the time the
podcast aired.
He now
teaches at
Rolleston
College.
betrayed their trust,” the tribunal
said.
“He places huge emphasis on
lifelong learning, and he has
learned from this event. He wishes
to learn from these actions and
to continue teaching.
“He has matured a lot since
taking part in the podcast … he
has wanted to teach since he was
16-years-old and having good
relationships with his students
was very important to him.
“Not a day goes by that he does
not regret his involvement in the
podcast, and how he talked about
learners.
“His actions ‘completely contradicted’
his own values.”
The tribunal ruled that not
only was Stokes’ misconduct serious,
it “adversely affected or was
likely to affect the wellbeing of
the students involved”.
“Mr Stokes accepted that his
conduct reflects adversely on his
fitness to be a teacher,” said the
tribunal.
“Mr Stokes failed to protect
students from harm and did not
demonstrate a high standard of
professional behaviour that is
expected of him as a registered
teacher.
“The tribunal concluded that
Mr Stokes’ conduct may bring
- and indeed, has brought - the
teaching profession into disrepute.
“There can be no doubt that
Mr Stokes’ conduct amounted
to a serious departure from the
relevant professional standards
that apply to every member of the
teaching profession.”
The tribunal said Stokes had no
previous disciplinary history and
noted he had “co-operated and
engaged” with the disciplinary
process and acknowledged his
actions through a guilty plea.
It accepted he had “displayed
some insight into his conduct
and expressed remorse”.
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