A British teacher has been permanently banned from the classroom after a professional conduct panel found he made discriminatory comments about LGBTQ+ people and defended Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during a classroom lesson.
The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) ruled that William Garwood, who taught history at St. Mary’s Menston Catholic Voluntary Academy in West Yorkshire, committed unacceptable professional misconduct after making a series of inflammatory remarks to Year 11 students during a lesson in October 2023. The decision, published this week, prohibits him from teaching until at least June 2032, when he may apply to have the ban reviewed.
According to the disciplinary findings, Garwood told students that “gay and transgender people are mentally ill” while also claiming that Ukrainians were “Nazis” and expressing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The comments reportedly arose after students asked whether there were any “just wars,” but investigators concluded his responses quickly strayed into personal political and religious opinions unrelated to the curriculum.
The TRA panel determined that Garwood’s remarks about LGBTQ+ people were particularly troubling because they were made to school-aged children without any educational context or balanced discussion. The panel also concluded that his statements about Ukrainians amounted to an endorsement of Russia’s invasion and constituted discriminatory behavior.
During the disciplinary proceedings, Garwood argued that his comments reflected his sincerely held Islamic beliefs and anti-Nazi philosophy. He maintained that he was entitled to those beliefs under the UK’s Equality Act and claimed the investigation was politically motivated. He also disputed students’ accounts, saying they had misunderstood or misrepresented his views.
The panel rejected those arguments, finding that teachers have a professional responsibility to avoid using the classroom to promote personal ideological views, particularly when discussing sensitive topics involving protected groups. It noted that describing gay and transgender people as mentally ill had no relevance to the history lesson and risked harming vulnerable students.
The decision also reflects decades of established medical consensus. Major health organizations, including the World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association, no longer classify either homosexuality or being transgender as a mental illness. While gender dysphoria is a recognized medical diagnosis that can require treatment, transgender identity itself is not considered a psychiatric disorder.
For LGBTQ+ advocates, the case highlights the importance of ensuring classrooms remain safe and inclusive environments. While teachers are entitled to their personal religious and political beliefs, regulators concluded that presenting discriminatory opinions as fact in front of students crossed the line from personal belief into professional misconduct.
The ruling serves as a reminder that educators are expected to uphold standards that protect students from discrimination, regardless of the subject being taught.
