A secondary school teacher’s rape convictions are “fundamentally incompatible” with the teaching profession and its values, a Teaching Council fitness-to-teach inquiry has held.
Patrick Joseph Bardon is serving a 10-year sentence in the Midlands Prison for the oral rape of one of his then students, a male, between October 1992 and March 1994.
Bardon was convicted of 11 charges of orally raping the then teenager on dates between October 1992 and March 1994 and was sentenced in October 2023 by Mr Justice David Keane.
On Wednesday, the chair of a Teaching Council inquiry panel said it was “somewhat self-evident” that Bardon’s conviction records would affect his fitness to teach. Adrian Guinan said they are “fundamentally incompatible” with the teaching profession and its values.
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The panel applied the criminal standard of proof, requiring the allegations to be proven “beyond a reasonable doubt”.
The inquiry panel found that, even though the offences took place before the Teaching Council acts took effect, the investigations committee had jurisdiction to investigate the allegations.
The teacher was not present and declined to avail of legal representation at the inquiry.
To protect the privacy of the victim, the schools in which Bardon taught cannot be named, according to the panel’s legal assessor, barrister Nathan Reilly. However, the panel decided not to afford the same protection to Bardon after concluding it was not in the public interest to do so.
The inquiry heard the Midlands Prison confirmed to Fieldfisher Solicitors, for the Teaching Council director, that relevant documents were delivered to Bardon, but he would not sign a confirmation of receipt.
The Teaching Council panel was satisfied that the legal documents were served on Bardon.
Sgt Michael Lynagh said Bardon only accepted responsibility for the offences at his sentencing hearing and then apologised to the victim.
Mr Guinan said the panel will use its findings to inform its recommended sanction for Bardon.
