Jeremy Forrest Guilty: Campaigners Call for Headteacher at Scandal-Hit School to Be Axed

The Mirror
June 21, 2013

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jeremy-forrest-guilty-campaigners-call-1972913

Scandal: Bishop Bell C of E school

The trial heard that despite being challenged at least seven times by fellow teachers, Forrest repeatedly continued his illicit affair

Anti-child abuse campaigners have demanded the headteacher at the centre of the Jeremy Forrest scandal be axed.

They said Terry Boatwright, head of Eastbourne’s Bishop Bell CoE school which employed Forrest, should go for failing to protect his victim.

The trial heard that despite being challenged at least seven times by fellow teachers, Forrest repeatedly continued his illicit affair.

The school banned them from messaging each other on Twitter but they carried on.

And when the school broke up for summer, no attempt was made to monitor their relationship.

The girl’s mum said assistant head mistress Alicja Bobela rang her shortly after her daughter returned from a schooltrip to tell her of the gossip.

But she said: “She dismissed it as if it was nothing to be concerned about. She said nothing had been found.”

Yesterday Marilyn Woods, founder of charity Enough Abuse, said: “I think Mr Boatwright should go.

“Someone has to to be held accountable... He’s failed the pupils, he’s failed the parents and he’s failed the staff.”

The trial heard that police dropped a brief investigation into Forrest after failing to find evidence on the girl’s mobile.

The couple fled abroad the following day.

Yesterday the school said it had been “deeply shocked” by Forrest and “his betrayal of trust” but pointed the finger of blame at the police investigation.

In a statement the school added that it had planned a professional misconduct probe but Forrest never returned to work.