Female teacher banned for sexting pupils
In classrooms today, technology is everywhere – emails, apps, virtual learning platforms, and instant messaging. These tools are meant to support education, foster engagement, and extend learning beyond the school day. But what happens when the very technology meant to connect teachers and students ends up crossing a line?
The case of Charlotte Doman, a 32-year-old history teacher at William Edwards Secondary School in Grays, Essex, shows us exactly how digital communication—when misused—can eat away trust, damage lives, and compromise the integrity of the teaching profession.
Between April and May 2023, Doman sent dozens of inappropriate messages to a teenage student who attended the school. These weren’t just simple check-ins or academic feedback but included messages via her mobile and Instagram including:
- Terms of affection like “little duck” and “I love you;”
- Discussions about personal relationships, substance use, and intimate topics;
- Encouragement to skip school; and
- Encouragement to hide the contact and messages she was sending.
This was a clear breach of professional boundaries.
The Teachers’ Regulation Authority investigated these messages and concluded that Doman’s behaviour was incompatible with the standards expected of a teacher. As a result, she has been banned indefinitely from teaching, with no possibility of review for five years.
This case is a painful reminder that connection must always be secured by professionalism, accountability, and clear boundaries.
Technology has the power to build bridges in education—but it also has the power to disrupt the boundaries that must be set between teachers and pupils.
This is because technology erases natural boundaries: a teacher wouldn’t say “I love you” to a student in the classroom however, when communication happens through a screen, rather than in person, inappropriate communication is made easier.
Technology allows for private communication which in turn invites secrecy: when messages happen outside of official systems, they’re invisible to safeguarding teams and school leaders. Just because a student is savvy with tech doesn’t mean they’re able to understand emotional manipulation from an adult in power.
To address these issues, schools must be vigilant in ensuring all communication between staff and pupils happens only in person at school or through monitored school platforms; schools must train staff and pupils on digital safeguarding; and encourage a culture of transparency and early reporting when something has gone wrong.
At Bolt Burdon Kemp we are committed to supporting survivors of abuse in seeking justice. I am an experienced solicitor who acts on behalf of survivors of abuse and I happy to speak directly to survivors trying to understand their legal rights.
