The General Teaching Council’s disciplinary body yesterday heard a head teacher, James Marks, 43, admitting that he licked lollipop lady June Craig, 41 a part time hairdresser. The evidence came to light in the exercise book of a seven year old pupil, who cannot be named for legal reasons. “Mr Marks licks June the lollipop,” the pupil wrote, in a report called “My School”. “I think he licked her as soon as he saw her"
GTC’s chairman Naomi Warner asked Marks whether the child’s report was accurate. Marks, who is unmarried, replied that he thought that this was a private matter, but under questioning admitted licking Ms Craig on several occasions in private. Ms Warner noted that the child’s report went on to say “I know June the lollipop licks Mr Marks as well as him licking her”
In evidence, June Craig, also unmarried, told the Council she had been a school crossing supervisor at Hadley school near Derby for three years and during that time had formed a close friendship with Mr Marks. She too asked for her privacy to be considered, but eventually admitted licking Mr Marks, again when nobody else was present, on at least five occasions. Both admitted licking each other and said they hoped they would continue to do so.
Counsel for Derby City Council called for both Mr Marks and Ms Craig to be suspended pending possible prosecution, especially in view of the age of the child involved. But Jeremy Frintam appearing for the defence said there was no firm proof of wrongdoing. “It is right that we should in the first instance take what a child in these circumstances says very seriously. We note that the child has not been asked further questions about the allegations, she was not present when the events took place and we have no desire to put him or her under more pressure."
The child’s class teacher said the pupil was of average ability in reading writing number and non verbal skills, and showed no sign of any upset related to the allegations. Elsewhere in the report “My School”, for example, the child had written “I would like to look after the school rabbi at half term, but do not want to touch his poo.”
