In September 2012, Walker was given a six-month suspended jail sentence and twelve-month driving ban for an incident on 23 April 2011 in which he verbally abused three schoolboys, who were between the ages of 10 and 12, chasing them in his Land Rover Discovery, and slashing the tyres on their bikes with a retractable craft knife. After investigation by the General Teaching Council, Walker was banned for life from the profession of teaching in 2013.
He challenged the ban in court, but his legal challenge was dismissed in February 2014.
Adam Walker, an outspoken BNP activist was given a lifetime teaching ban for chasing children in his car after they were verbally abusive towards him.
Walker, who had been pictured on BNP marches with the far-Right party's leader Nick Griffin, had initially been banned for two years by the College for Teaching and Leadership. However, Education Secretary Michael Gove has over-ruled that decision, and imposed a lifetime ban on returning to the classroom.
Walker, 44, had 20 years of teaching experience, having worked in Japan before returning to North-East England, where he taught at Houghton Kepier School in Sunderland. He was given a six-month suspended prison sentence and lost his licence for 12 months after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at Durham Crown Court.
At a St George's Day celebration in 2011 at Tudhoe, near his home town of Spennymoor in County Durham, Walker was verbally abused by three boys aged between 10 and 12, the court heard. He chased the children in his car, then slit the tyres on their bikes with a Stanley knife. Recorder Ben Nolan said that his actions were extremely dangerous, and claimed he could have killed the boys. When the teaching council imposed a ban, it said "He had been provoked, but his reaction failed to meet up to the high standard expected of a teacher both in and out of school."
However, Walker insisted that the punishment imposed on him by Mr Gove was excessive, and the result of a 'personal vendetta' based on his controversial political beliefs. "Clearly the Secretary of State has an axe to grind." he said. "I was dealt with first by the courts, then the teaching council, and accepted their decisions, but the Secretary of State has overruled all that."
"When I compare the punishments given to other teachers, including proven paedophiles and the like, what's happened to me seems totally disproportionate." In his judgement for the Secretary of State's office, Alan Meyrick said "Mr Walker's convictions involved threatening behaviour and criminal damage of a serious nature aimed at children. The reputation of the profession would be seriously damaged by allowing a teacher with this combination of convictions to be able to teach again."
Mr Walker, an IT teacher who qualified in 2000, previously appeared before a conduct committee in 2010 after he labelled some immigrants 'savage animals' on an internet forum using a school laptop.
Mr Gove used his case as an example of why members of the BNP should be banned from teaching. But no legislation to that effect has come into effect. Representing himself, Mr Walker told the court "When this failed to occur, in typical fashion, Mr Gove made a prejudiced decision on their (the NCTL's) behalf."
Judge Clive Heaton QC summarised Mr Walker’s case as:
In September 2012, Walker was given a six-month suspended jail sentence and twelve-month driving ban for an incident on 23 April 2011 in which he responded to verbal abuse he received from three schoolboys, who were between the ages of 10 and 12, chasing them in his Land Rover Discovery, and slashing the tyres on their bikes with a retractable craft knife. After investigation by the General Teaching Council, Walker was banned for life from the profession of teaching in 2013.
He challenged the ban in court, but his legal challenge was dismissed in February 2014.
Adam Walker, an outspoken BNP activist has been given a lifetime teaching ban for chasing children in his car after they were verbally abusive towards him.
Walker, who has been pictured on BNP marches with the far-Right party's leader Nick Griffin, had initially been banned for two years by the College for Teaching and Leadership. However, Education Secretary Michael Gove has over-ruled that decision, and imposed a lifetime ban on returning to the classroom.
Walker, 44, has 20 years of teaching experience, having worked in Japan before returning to North-East England, where he taught at Houghton Kepier School in Sunderland. He was given a six-month suspended prison sentence and lost his licence for 12 months after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at Durham Crown Court.
At a St George's Day celebration in 2011 at Tudhoe, near his home town of Spennymoor in County Durham, Walker was abused by three boys aged between 10 and 12, the court heard. He chased the children in his car, then slit the tyres on their bikes with a Stanley knife. Recorder Ben Nolan said that his actions were extremely dangerous, and claimed he could have killed the boys. When the teaching council imposed a ban, it said: 'He had been provoked, but his reaction failed to meet up to the high standard expected of a teacher both in and out of school.'
However, Walker insisted that the punishment imposed on him by Mr Gove was excessive, and the result of a 'personal vendetta' based on his controversial political beliefs. 'Clearly the Secretary of State has an axe to grind,' he said. 'I was dealt with first by the courts, then the teaching council, and accepted their decisions, but the Secretary of State has overruled all that.
'When I compare the punishments given to other teachers, including proven paedophiles and the like, what's happened to me seems totally disproportionate.' In his judgement for the Secretary of State's office, Alan Meyrick said: 'Mr Walker's convictions involved threatening behaviour and criminal damage of a serious nature aimed at children. 'The reputation of the profession would be seriously damaged by allowing a teacher with this combination of convictions to be able to teach again.' Mr Walker, an IT teacher who qualified in 2000, previously appeared before a conduct committee in 2010 after he labelled some immigrants "savage animals" on an internet forum using a school laptop.
"Mr Gove has used his case of an example of why members of the BNP should be banned from teaching. But no legislation to that effect has come into effect." Representing himself, Mr Walker told the court: "When this failed to occur, in typical fashion, Mr Gove made a prejudiced decision on their (the NCTL’s) behalf."
Judge Clive Heaton QC summarised Mr Walker’s case as:
• The punishment was out of kilter with what other organisations considered just, after Mr Walker said the Disclosure and Barring Service had not banned him from contact with children, and the karate authorities had not stopped him instructing.
• He was more strictly dealt with than all other cases heard by the regulatory body or the Secretary of State.
• There had been undue interference by Mr Gove.