GTC hears Beavis and Butt-Head ‘victimisation’ case

Pupil claimed repeated playing of audio clip from cult cartoon amounted to intimidation
15th May 2009, 1:00am

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GTC hears Beavis and Butt-Head ‘victimisation’ case

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/gtc-hears-beavis-and-butt-head-victimisation-case

A teacher is facing a disciplinary hearing over allegations that he intimidated a pupil by repeatedly playing part of a Beavis and Butt-Head cartoon in class.

John Maddison has been charged with unacceptable professional conduct after a pupil accused his former maths teacher of victimising him with an audio clip from the cult American animation series.

The pupil claimed Mr Maddison played the excerpt on his laptop computer when the student entered the classroom and when he tried to speak during lessons.

Mr Maddison, who taught at Holgate School in Hucknall, Nottingham, at the time of the alleged incidents, is also accused of calling pupils “prick” and “dickhead” and of punching and kicking a wall while reprimanding another student.

The former teacher, who now works as a “laptop technician”, denies all allegations and that he is guilty of misconduct.

Mr Maddison admits to playing the Beavis and Butt-Head clip, but told a General Teaching Council for England hearing in Birmingham that he did so only in an attempt to quieten pupils when the whole class was being noisy.

Beavis and Butt-Head became popular in the 1990s after first being aired on MTV. It is about two sarcastic and puerile teenagers who make crude jokes and snigger through pop videos.

Mr Maddison faces six allegations of behaving and speaking inappropriately to pupils between 2005 and 2006.

Among other allegations, he is accused of sending a pupil out of the classroom, then following him into the corridor where he punched and kicked a wall near to the student.

He is also alleged to have restrained a pupil inappropriately.

Mr Maddison’s case was brought before the GTC last week, but it was adjourned before the disciplinary panel could reach a decision. It will be heard again on June 3.

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