A former head teacher in Wales has been removed from the teaching register following serious allegations of indecent exposure and sexual misconduct. James ‘Jamie’ Richards, who led Cadle Primary in Swansea from 2011 to 2021, exhibited “harassing, abusive, and predatory” behaviour towards female staff members, prompting a professional standards panel to ban him from working in any maintained or non-maintained schools for a minimum of 15 years.
The Education Workforce Council (EWC) reported that Richards’s actions, which included showing explicit images and videos of himself to colleagues, were proven during a four-day hearing. The panel determined that Richards could not apply for reinstatement until at least November 2040. This decision reflects the seriousness of his conduct, which the panel described as a risk to both young women and fellow educators.
During the hearing, testimonies from former and current staff members detailed how Richards’s behaviour had left many women feeling “shocked,” “numb,” and “frightened.” His misconduct included exposing himself to staff on multiple occasions, such as a school trip where he told a teacher, “Inspect this miss,” and another incident where he was found with his trousers down in his office.
Richards’s actions extended beyond verbal harassment. He reportedly displayed explicit images on his phone during meetings and showed colleagues a video of himself engaging in sexual acts. The panel found that he often targeted women he believed might hesitate to report his behaviour due to fear of retaliation.
One witness recounted her disappointment when South Wales Police, alerted to the incidents, decided not to pursue criminal charges in late 2021. This left her feeling disheartened, particularly after Richards was allowed to resign during an internal investigation following his suspension.
The hearing panel, chaired by Sue Davies, noted that Richards did not attend the proceedings or respond to the allegations. His absence was particularly striking given that he had previously claimed ill health prevented him from participating in interviews related to the investigation. Surveillance footage later revealed him engaging in social activities, undermining his claims of incapacity.
The panel concluded that Richards’s behaviour was “overtly and expressly sexual in nature.” EWC presenting officer Sara Lewis highlighted that he had abused his position of trust as a head teacher, further stressing that he had instructed his victims not to disclose his actions. This instilled fear among the victims about potential repercussions on their employment.
The findings confirmed that Richards had exposed himself to three members of staff, shown explicit images to two others, and even made inappropriate remarks comparing one staff member’s breasts to those of his wife. The panel found additional evidence of misconduct involving a work laptop, which he failed to return during the internal investigation.
Richards’s conduct was deemed a clear violation of professional standards, with the committee asserting that it represented unacceptable professional behaviour. While he has the right to appeal the decision within 28 days to the High Court, his future in education remains uncertain.
As the educational community grapples with the implications of this case, it serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding policies and the need for open channels of communication for reporting misconduct. The experiences shared by these women underscore the significant impact of such violations, not only on individual careers but also on the broader school environment.
