Why forward-thinking Stripping teacher Benedict Garrett should be allowed to strip

by Carol Driver

Teacher getting his kit off is no biggy. There’s worse he could do

Am I missing something? Why has there been such outrage over the teacher who was moonlighting as a stripper? Poor Benedict Garrett was hauled before the General Teaching Council because he worked in clubs while being employed at a secondary school. Thankfully, the disciplinary committee had the common sense to only reprimand him, and didn’t ban him from teaching sex education.

Stripper teacher who ran porn website facing classroom ban

Garrett, from Hackney, has rightfully argued working as a stripper – oh, and as a nude waiter at private dinners and starring in a porn film – is not unacceptable professional conduct as none of his behaviour was illegal.

But clearly the images of him in a fireman’s uniform and a bit of bondage gear were too much for the fussy bods in charge, who probably had a hot flush while looking at them. What did they think would happen? That Garrett would decide to go to school in similar attire? That he’d think it a good idea to give his pupils a free demonstration? It may liven up those embarrassing sex ed classes.
 
On Garrett’s website, he says he’s “teaching young people to be open-minded”. Lord knows, with the soaring rates of teenage pregnancy, we need to try a different tack, so why not this? If anything, the fact Garrett works in this field makes him experienced and qualified to teach his subject – you wouldn’t ban a drama teacher from appearing in a theatre show. And who really knows what teachers get up to in their spare time – I’m sure a few more would be before the committee in a flash if they were forced to disclose.

That Garrett was forced into taking a second job taking off his clothes because of dire wages will be a valuable lesson in life for his pupils. At least they’ll grow up fully aware working as a teacher doesn’t pay the bills.

Perhaps the only real crime the 31-year-old committed was going by the pseudonym Johnny Anglais, which is, without doubt, the worst porn name ever.