WOLVERHAMPTON TEACHER BANNED FOR BALACLAVA CONFRONTATION
A former English teacher at Ormiston SWB Academy in Wolverhampton, Farah Belkhelfa, was found to have engaged in unacceptable professional conduct by a panel following an incident on a bus.During this incident, she attempted to remove a student's balaclava.
According to her statement from April 2022, she approached a group of 15-20 students who had been shouting loudly on the bus.
Feeling upset and angry at a pupil for using expletives, she attempted to take off the student's balaclava, which led to the pupil assaulting her.
Belkhelfa explained that she responded in self-defense by pushing the student with her foot and biting the child's shoulder to make them release her.
She also claimed that she had trouble breathing because the student pressed their arms against her chest and possibly around her neck, while also grabbing her leg.
The teacher stated that the student shouted they would punch her.
Although she did not think the student was a current pupil, she acknowledged that the group included students from the school.
An investigation conducted in May 2022 reviewed video footage that did not show her removing the balaclava during the altercation.
Witnesses described the student as aggressive and noted they had grabbed her throat during the incident.
Belkhelfa later expressed remorse for her actions but did not acknowledge how her conduct might have been perceived.
The disciplinary panel concluded that her actions endangered the student, leading to her being banned from teaching indefinitely.
She has the option to apply to have the ban lifted after two years.
