PE TEACHER RESIGNED DURING INVESTIGATION INTO SCHOOL RUGBY TRIP
A PE teacher who allegedly ignored concussion protocol while on a school trip resigned during an internal school investigation, an EWC hearing has heard.Lowri Williams, who was a PE teacher and a rugby coach at Llandovery College, is facing a week-long disciplinary hearing over her alleged conduct including during the sevens tournament she took students to at Rosslyn Park in London.
It is alleged that during the tournament Ms Williams allowed pupils to continue playing rugby despite hitting their heads, not following WRU concussion protocol, and not maintaining professional boundaries.
Ms Williams is also alleged to have encouraged a pupil to lie to their housemistress about having taken another pupil to a match, discussed personal relationships with pupils, discussed and showed pupils what underwear she was wearing the next day, allowed them to come into her hotel room, answered her hotel room door to a pupil when not fully dressed, asked pupils if they were seeing anyone, talked to pupils about her weekend, and showed pupils videos of her on nights out.
The teacher, who used to be a semi-professional player, has nine allegations against her at the hearing due to end on Friday.
As well as the London tournament, the allegations also relate to alleged conduct at a match at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff and a netball game at Christ College Brecon.
All events happened between September 2023 and March 2024.
The panel heard how the school's under-16s side travelled to London on March 17 to take part in the Rosslyn Park tournament.
They stayed overnight in a hotel and played in the tournament on March 18 before returning to the school late that evening.
Both Ms Williams and Sophie Witt (now Sophie Hands), former head of girls' sport, were on the trip.
Simon Bodley, former medical centre manager at the school, told the panel that with such away games the usual protocol would be that he would receive a message or email from physios telling him about any injuries, but he said that hadn't happened and yet he said five girls presented to him as injured after the tournament including with head injuries.
The panel has heard how one pupil, referred to as pupil F, told him she'd been kicked in the head during the game.
Mr Bodley recalled the girl had felt she "had almost been made to play on".
He said she should have come off the pitch and been assessed but during his check-ins with her she said, after she'd been encouraged by other girls, she had been told by Ms Williams not to tell anyone about her injury and to keep playing.
He said she was one of the best players and he was "furious".
But it was also heard from Andrew Faux, representing Ms Williams at the hearing, how pupil F had said herself that she wasn't injured from the kick to the head but had come off "to make sure I was okay".
Mr Faux also raised that Mr Bodley's recollection of dates couldn't have been accurate, to which Mr Bodley agreed and said emails actually indicated he saw pupil F on Thursday, March 21, rather than the morning after the tournament.
Johanna Edwards, the former deputy head at Llandovery, told the EWC she started an internal investigation about injuries having allegedly not being correctly reported.
The EWC heard that during that investigation Ms Williams resigned from her role at Llandovery.
Ms Hands, who was also at the tournament, said Ms Williams "cared deeply about her role and was passionate about girls' rugby".
"I'm shocked that any allegations has been brought to be here.
I hear nothing but praise for her and as far as I’m concerned I'm at a loss as to how this has escalated to this point," she told the panel.
During the games at the sevens tournament in London Ms Hands said she was only aware of a head injury to pupil B and she said she had been properly brought off despite her parents wanting her to play on.
She said that at the time the college didn't have their own concussion protocol but followed the WRU one which Ms Williams was familiar with.
Ms Hands explained how all the girls seemed in high spirits on the minibus home and were singing all the way.
The panel were shown a video of them singing on the minibus and Ms Hands said they didn't behave like that if they were injured.
The next day she said she saw some girls sat outside the medical centre complaining they were tired and had headaches.
It was the first she knew about them having any problems and she said she believed they were just tired from the trip.
Ms Hands recalled how on March 19 she was told Ms Williams wouldn't be coming on the trip back to the Rosslyn Park tournament where the under-18s were playing on March 20.
She said she didn't want to go without her.
She said Ms Williams had "good relationships with pupils".
"She did everything I asked and more and would put the girls first.
Formed her role with good humour and dedication," she added.
The hearing continues.
