'Kardashian clones' teacher who was struck off remains defiant
- Published
Alexander Price says the issues he raised in his blogs were in the public interest
A teacher who was struck off after mocking pupils for "dressing like Eastern European prostitutes and Kardashian clones" has defended himself and said he has "no regrets".
Alexander Price, 43, was found guilty of professional misconduct for his anonymous blog about the annual prom at Denbigh High School in north Wales.
Mr Price will not be allowed to work as a teacher for two years.
Denbighshire council has been asked to comment.
Mr Price told BBC Wales he did not think he should apologise for his remarks.
The comments had offended parents, pupils and staff, his professional misconduct hearing was told.
The "Provoked Pedagogue" blog, which Mr Price wrote for 18 months, also claimed pupils snorted cocaine at the school prom, which he said was more important to both pupils and the school than education and exam results.
In one blog post, pupils were mocked for having fake tans and being overweight
But speaking after he was struck off, Mr Price said his blog was satirical and he had never intended to offend anyone.
He also said he took it down and offered his resignation as soon as he was suspected of being its author, but maintained he should not have been struck off.
"The second I believed that the school might have an indication [I was the author], I took the blog down because it was never my intention to cause offence," he said.
"Paradoxically, it was the school that ended up putting the material in the public sphere," he said.
"If they had just let me resign, as I offered to, then the matters would never have reached the public sphere."
Alexander Price likened the way some pupils dressed to the Kardashian sisters
Asked if his comments had been wise, Mr Price said: "Absolutely it's wise.
"If children taking drugs and dressing in ways that are sexually inappropriate for their age is not in the public interest, then I don't know what is."
In its decision, the misconduct panel's chairman Steve Powell said it was "particularly concerning" Mr Price had focussed on "families from poor backgrounds in an unnecessary and unwarranted way".
But Mr Price said his intention had been to highlight how poorer pupils were being let down.
"Why are we teaching them that these values are more important than the opportunity for education?" he asked.
"And why is the school putting importance on that prom event, more importance than it is on their educational achievement?
"If children are going to work their way out of poverty one of the key ways to do that is through education."
He added: "If you read the blog in its entirety, it makes the absolute opposite points that they claim it does."
Mr Price said the tribunal and school had "cherry-picked" comments to make the case against him.
Asked if he thought he should apologise, he replied "absolutely not", adding he had "no regrets".
Mr Price can apply to be restored to the teaching register in two years, but he said he has no intention of trying to return to the teaching profession.