Cheshire teacher who pretended loved one had cancer banned

Lauren Green said the person had died and described their supposed final moments to a colleague

A teacher who took time off work after pretending a loved one had cancer, even organising a charity fun run, has been banned from the profession.

Lauren Green then told colleagues in Warrington that the person had died and took more than five months' leave.

She also organised a Race for Life fundraiser, accepted gifts and took cash donations totalling £300.

The 31-year-old admitted to a Teaching Regulation Agency panel that her behaviour had been unacceptable.

The panel said the primary school teacher's conduct at Barnabas CE Primary School "involved a lack of integrity", was "dishonest" and "fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession".

Their report found she told her school in 2016 that a loved one had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, before taking 170 days of absence for stress and depression between 2017 and 2020.

She regularly sent updates to her colleagues about the made-up illness and falsely claimed a charity was providing support with gift hampers, the panel heard.

'New evidence'

In March 2020 she said the person had died, describing to a colleague how she held their hand during their final moments and about how undertakers had taken the body away.

She also organised a Race for Life fundraiser for Cancer Research UK.

The panel said it was unclear whether the race was planned with the pretence of helping the supposed victim directly, but did find she had made a link between the event and the made-up illness to her pupils.

However, in January 2021 the panel heard she admitted to her headteacher the person was still alive after "new evidence had come to light" and later resigned.

Her representative told the panel Ms Green "would like to take this opportunity to apologise".

But the panel noted that while she had said she would "do a number of things to demonstrate her remorse", including returning the money she had received, there was no evidence she had done so.

They ruled a ban was justified, particularly given the effect her deception had had on her colleagues, some of whom had experienced genuine bereavement.

Ms Green was banned from teaching indefinitely with an opportunity for review in two years' time.

The panel said it hoped she would have a "period of reflection" and, if possible, "therapeutic intervention" to examine the reasons for her actions.