Scout leader sent 'inappropriate' texts to child

Mr Kendall shared "over-personal" messages with the child, the panel heard

A former teacher has been permanently banned from the profession after arranging to meet a child alone while working as a scout leader.

Shawn Kendall, who once taught English at Norton Hill School in Somerset, was found by a misconduct panel to be guilty of "unacceptable professional conduct".

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) said Mr Kendall exchanged "over-familiar" texts with the child and acted "in an inappropriate manner" in his scout role.

The Scouts Association said Mr Kendall had "betrayed the trust" of the organisation.

The school's headteacher, Gordon Green, said the incidents happened within Mr Kendall's role as a scout leader and there is "no indication of any such behaviour during his time at our school".

Between July and August 2022 Mr Kendall was alone on his car with the child on more than one occasion, a TRA report said.

Mr Kendall admitted he gave the child "lifts" home from their meeting point for the Scouts, and stated it was in the "full knowledge and understanding of the parents".

But the panel found Mr Kendall exchanged "over-personal" texts with the child, such as "probably have to wait until you are at uni, but game if you are" and "Lady and the Tramp is a bit like we would be".

At one point Mr Kendall messaged the child: "I am looking forward to a cuddle tho", and invited them to meet up at a weekend to watch films together.

Mr Kendall was excluded from The Scouts Association on 10 January 2023, six months after he told the school he had been suspended.

The school, in Midsomer Norton, held its own investigation and then suspended Mr Kendall on 6 March, 2023. He resigned the following month.

Mr Kendall taught English at Norton Hill School at the time he sent the messages

In a written submission to the panel, Mr Kendall described his "regret, guilt and self-loathing over his behaviour and the impact that it has had".

The report said: "Mr Kendall submitted that his instinct was to help, and that he did not consider the 'slippery slope' he had embarked upon, although stated that he 'fully recognise[s] how this contributed to later events, although this was not recognised at the time'.

"Mr Kendall submitted that he has now begun a new career, and that he poses no risk 'now or in the future'."

Mr Kendall described the experience as the 'worst…of [his] life'."

Despite the panel acknowledging his regret, it found he showed "little insight" to the potential effect of his actions on the child involved.

'Stringent vetting'

A spokesperson for The Scout Association said it "cooperated fully with the statutory authorities throughout the investigation".

"The safety of young people in our care is our number one priority, and there is no place in scouting for anyone who behaves in this way.

"Kendall has not been a member of the Scouts since 2022 and will never be able to volunteer with us again."

They added everyone who works at the Scouts abides by a "strict code of practice to put young people first", and "stringent vetting" is carried out on all adults who work with young people.

Mr Green said it was "clear his position as a teacher was untenable".

"The safeguarding and well being of our children is absolutely paramount," he said.

"We ensured that we followed all the statutory advice and made the referral to the TRA after Mr Kendall resigned so that they could investigate further to make a decision on whether he would be able to work in any role involving children going forwards."