Former Priory School teacher Douglas Elvy avoids professional ban after beating his wife and throwing a toilet brush holder at her
A disciplinary committee decided that as the assault happened in his private life, the former assistant headteacher would not be banned
An assistant headteacher who slapped and kicked his wife - and threw a porcelain toilet brush holder at her - has escaped a teaching ban because it happened in his private life.
Douglas Elvy hurled a porcelain toilet brush holder at his wife Louise during a Boxing Day row, having already slapped her twice in her face.
Elvy, based at Priory School in Southsea, then bombarded her with messages when she moved out of their house with their two children.
Experienced Elvy was convicted of harassment and assault by beating at a magistrates court over the violent offences.
But now the the Teaching Regulation Agency has decided not to impose a teaching ban because the incidents didn't happen inside a school.
A TRA panel ruled: "He was clearly passionate about education and had an otherwise unblemished record. These matters took place in the context of his private life and not in the course of his professional duties."
The TRA panel accepted the offences 'were not directly relevant to teaching insofar as they occurred in the context of Mr Elvy’s personal life' and that there was a 'public interest consideration in retaining him in the profession'.
Elvy started working as an assistant headteacher at Priory School in Southsea in September 2023, until he was fired in April 2024.
He got into a row with his wife in the morning of December 26, 2023, when she tried to talk to him about an issue, but he simply told her to leave him alone and he slapped her in the face and told her to “go away”.
Mrs Elvy avoided her husband all day until she heard him 'crying' and found him on the bathroom floor.
After trying to console him, Elvy told her 'you've done this' and slapped her again before kicking out as 'some contact' was made.
As she left the room, she said that a porcelain toilet brush holder was 'thrown in her direction' although it narrowly missed her.
She reported Elvy to the police, where he was arrested and moved herself and their children in with her parents.
Having been released on bail, Elvy began a period of harassment over seven days in January 2024, as he sent numerous unwanted WhatsApp messages and emails.
He sent 'large paragraphs' about their relationship.
In one message, he urged her "PLEASE DELETE CONVERSATION AND I’LL DO THE SAME".
After admitting charges of harassment and assault by beating, Elvy was handed an 18-month community order at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court in March 2024.
The order required Elvy to attend 30 sessions of a Building Better Relationships course, mental health treatment and 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Now, the TRA has convened at a misconduct hearing and ruled that Elvy committed misconduct - but decided he can still continue working as a teacher.
The panel, chaired by Robert Dowey, said: "The panel did note that Mr Elvy’s behaviour did not lead to a sentence of imprisonment. The panel also noted that Mr Elvy’s actions were not directly relevant to teaching insofar as they occurred in the context of Mr Elvy’s personal life.
"However, the panel did not regard the offences as trivial or minor and the same applied to the sentence imposed, which was not insignificant.
"Further, the offences did, in the panel’s view, link to Mr Elvy’s professional practice insofar as they raised issues regarding self-regulation, judgement and role-modelling.
"There was, accordingly, a direct link to working with children and working in an education setting. Further, given the involvement of violence, the behaviour directly impacted on the victim."
The panel said that Elvy had multiple positive references and testimonials as a teacher and that he had never had any conduct issues like this in the past.
It said: "The panel decided that there was a public interest consideration in retaining him in the profession. Doubt had not been cast upon his abilities as an educator.
"He had made a valuable contribution to the profession, even if there was no evidence to conclude that contribution could be regarded as exceptional.
"There were character references and testimonials before the panel and he had made a positive contribution in a number of settings. He had progressed to the role of assistant headteacher. The conduct in this case occurred in Mr Elvy’s private life and did not occur in the context of his professional duties."
It ruled that no prohibition order should be made as Elvy had made efforts to take rehabilitative steps, where he knew his triggers and how to prevent them.
It also said that he had shown remorse for his actions because he had pleaded guilty and said that it was a 'one-off episode' rather than a repeated pattern.
It said: "The panel was of the view that, applying the standard of the ordinary intelligent citizen, on balance, a recommendation of no prohibition order would be both a proportionate and an appropriate response.
"Mr Elvy gave evidence in an open way and showed insight into the circumstances that led to and the impact of his actions. He had reflected on his behaviours and undertaken various rehabilitative steps.
"The panel was also satisfied that Mr Elvy would be likely to make a positive contribution to teaching, education and the profession in the future by using his skills, experience and expertise. He was clearly passionate about education and had an otherwise unblemished record.
"These matters took place in the context of his private life and not in the course of his professional duties. There had been no repetition of any similar behaviour since."