Duncan McTier(pictured, outside Liverpool Crown Court earlier in his trial), admitted sexually assaulting three young female pupils
A world renowned music teacher who groped students after telling them his wife ‘didn’t understand him’ has been banned from the classroom.
Duncan McTier, 62, who taught at the Royal Academy of Music, admitted sexually assaulting three young female pupils.
Double-bassist McTier, admitted two charges of indecent assault and one of attempted indecent assault at Liverpool Crown Court in November 2014.
But today, he was barred from teaching after a tribunal board disregarded a High Court Decision to waive a ban.
McTier committed the offences while holding teaching sessions at his home with pupils from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and Hertfordshire’s Purcell school.
The divorcee, from Isleworth in West London, told a 17-year-old girl his wife did not understand him before trying to fondle her breasts following a music lesson in 1985.
He also molested two other students aged in their early 20s in 1988 and 1994.
Following his guilty pleas, his most recent victim remarked that ‘the relationship between a musician and her tutor is a very intimate one, which can be wonderful, but it is also open to abuse’.
He resigned from his professorship at the Royal Academy of Music after the allegations surfaced and was eventually handed a three-month suspended sentence.
McTier was referred by the National College for Teaching & Leadership to a professional conduct panel who initially recommended he should be spared a teaching ban.
McTier (pictured, outside Liverpool Crown Court earlier in his trial) told a 17-year-old girl his wife did not understand him before trying to fondle her breasts following a lesson in 1985
However, in July last year, the then education secretary, Nicky Morgan, disagreed with the panel and prohibited him from teaching in any school or sixth-form college indefinitely.
But that decision was overturned on appeal by a High Court judge who commented that it was ‘not clear’ that the original tribunal bore the ages of McTier’s victims in mind when imposing the ban.
Branding the prohibition ‘more draconian than intended’, Justice Kerr also remarked that it would have ‘no practical effect’ as the musician only teaches privately.
The judge subsequently determined the ‘flawed and wrong’ decision to impose a ‘punitive, rather than protective’ ban be again overturned.
McTier resigned from his professorship at the Royal Academy of Music (pictured) after the allegations surfaced and was eventually handed a three-month suspended sentence
But a reconvened NCTL panel decided to uphold the ban after concluding that impact on the profession was more important than the effect of a ban on the musician.
‘I recognise that Mr McTier is a world-renowned music teacher,’ said panel chair John Elliott.
‘I do not consider that his personal reputation should stand above the wider reputation of the teaching profession.
‘The offences of which he was convicted have the potential to bring the reputation of the profession into serious disrepute.
‘I do not consider that the panel has given that sufficient weight in this case.
Double-bassist McTier, admitted two charges of indecent assault and one of attempted indecent assault at Liverpool Crown Court in November 2014
‘I have taken account of the testimonials provided on behalf of Mr McTier but have placed less weight on those than I have on the sexual behaviours that led to the convictions.
‘On balance, I believe that the reputation of the profession is more important than the impact of a prohibition order on Mr McTier.
‘In my view, this is especially the case when the behaviours involved sexual assault or attempted assault, on three separate occasions, even though those were some years ago and recognising that Mr McTier already has the impact of a conviction for them.’
McTier is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.
He may apply for the prohibition order to be set aside in 2021.