Mr Patrick Lawler

The Secretary of State does not make these decisions themselves. They are made by a senior official on the recommendation of an independent panel.

Teacher's name: Mr Patrick Lawler

Teacher reference number: 9851609

Teacher's date of birth: 23 January 1963

Location teacher worked: Bristol, South West England

Date of professional conduct panel: 8 to 15 December 2025

Outcome type: Prohibition order

Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with The Teacher's’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012, a professional conduct panel was convened to consider the case of Mr Patrick Lawler formerly employed in Bristol, South West England

Teacher misconduct

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Cheylesmore House

5 Quinton RoadCoventryCV1 2WT

Email TRA.Casework@education.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7593 5393

Information about regulating the teaching profession and the process for dealing with serious teacher misconduct.

Mr Patrick Lawler: Professional conduct panel outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education December 2025 2 Contents Introduction 3 Allegations 4 Summary of evidence 6 Documents 6 Witnesses 7 Decision and reasons 7 Findings of fact 7 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 24 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 28 3 Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Mr Patrick Lawler Teacher ref number: 9851609 Teacher date of birth: 23 January 1963 TRA reference: 21388 Date of determination: 15 December 2025 Former employer: Monarch Education Recruitment Agency, Bristol Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (“the TRA”) convened on 8 to 15 December 2025 by way of a virtual hearing, to consider the case of Mr Patrick Lawler. The panel members were Miss Louisa Munton (teacher panellist – in the chair), Mr Andrew Hearn (lay panellist) and Mr Francis Ekengwu (lay panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Mr Ben Schofeld of Blake Morgan LLP. The presenting officer for the TRA was Mr Ian Perkins (and Ms Amalea Bourne on 15 December 2025) of Browne Jacobson LLP. Mr Lawler was not present and was not represented. The hearing took place in public and was recorded. 4 Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the notice of proceedings dated 24 September 2025. It was alleged that Mr Lawler was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, in that: 1. Whilst employed as a Teacher at Bede Academy from around September 2015 – December 2020, he published and/or endorsed one or more offensive comments, by; a. in or around Autumn 2015, co-authoring an article, ‘How to Discern True from False Religion’ with Individual A, in The Flock, which stated that: i. “Catholicism is the one true religion and … all other religions are false, and of all the false religions Islam is demonstrably the most demonic.” ii. “anal copulation between two men is an unnatural, unhealthy, disgusting perversion” iii. “killing children in the womb by abortion is a great wickedness” iv. That Islam is “Satanically inspired” b. in or around Autumn 2015, authoring an article, ‘Part 2 – Traitors’, in The Flock, which stated that: i. “The majority of Priests, Bishops and Cardinals (including many of the occupants of two entire floors of the sodomite-run Domus Sancta Marthae) are traitors to the Faith…” ii. “A very large number of [Catholic priests] are practising sodomites (quite openly) and predatory homosexual child-molesters” c. in or around Spring 2018, authoring an article, ‘Tales from the CCRS’, in The Flock, in which he referred to: i. “Sodomite ‘marriage’” (as something which Catholics should not approve); ii. “the satanic evil that has infected and taken over the vast majority of the human element of Holy Mother Church (especially the Episcopacy). 5 2. Whilst employed as a Teacher at Bede Academy from around September 2015 – December 2020, he engaged in inappropriate and/or unprofessional behaviour, by; a. holding a public appointment as Trustee for Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice; b. In or around 2019, telling Year 6 pupils: i. That Rosa Parks had not refused to give up her seat on a bus; ii. That Martin Luther King had been accused of embezzlement and/or was an academic fraud guilty of extensive plagiarism and/or had illegally changed his name. c. On or around 3 July 2019, telling a colleague on a school bus and/or in the presence of one or more pupils; i. Women are murderers if they have an abortion; ii. There are too many burkas in London; iii. Catholicism is the only true religion; d. In or around the week commencing 26 October 2020, telling pupils that he did not believe in Covid and/or that the flu was worse and/or that masks were pointless; e. In or around November 2020, referring pupils to ‘Burn, Loot, Murder’ as an interpretation of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement; f. In or around December 2020, saying in the presence of one or more pupils “do you want some other bastard to teach you” or using words to that effect; g. In or around December 2020, saying in the presence of one or more pupils “I am surprised you were not all hanging from lampposts” or using words to that effect; h. In or around December 2020, calling pupils ‘failures’ and/or ‘a waste of oxygen and air’ or using words to that effect; i. In or around December 2020, telling a pupil that they had a mental disorder and/or that they were a pathetic and/or ignorant little girl, or using words to that effect; j. In or around December 2020 saying, “back in the day you used to be able to get cocaine purer” or using words to that effect. 6 3. His conduct as may be found proven at; a. 1 and/or 2b and/or 2c and/or 2e above; i. demonstrated a lack of tolerance and/or respect for the rights and/or beliefs of others; ii. was contrary to Fundamental British values in that it lacked tolerance to those with different faiths and/or beliefs; b. 2b above sought to undermine anti-racist and/or civil rights education; c. 2 above was despite having been given advice in respect of sharing his views and/or his language with students in or around 2 April 2019; d. 2d and or 2e and/or 2f and/or 2g and/or 2h and/or 2i above was despite having been issued with a warning in a letter of 19 July 2019. 4. Whilst employed and/or engaged as a Supply Teacher by Monarch Education Recruitment Agency in or around September 2022, he engaged in inappropriate and/or unprofessional behaviour in a lesson, including by; a. stating that there was no scientific proof of COVID-19; b. stating that you can eat as much salt as you like without getting poisoned or using words to that effect and/or eating salt in front of one or more pupils. 5. His conduct as may be found proven at 4 above was despite having been: a. given advice in respect of sharing his views and/or his language with students on or around 2 April 2019; b. issued with a warning in a letter of 19 July 2019; subject to disciplinary action in or around December 2020. Summary of evidence Documents In advance of the hearing, the panel received a bundle of documents which included: Section 1: Anonymised pupil list – page 8 Section 2: Notice of proceedings and response – pages 9 to 25 Section 3: Teaching Regulation Agency witness statements – pages 26 to 337 7 Section 4: Teaching Regulation Agency documents – pages 338 to 731 The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents within the bundle, in advance of the hearing. Witnesses The panel heard oral evidence from the following witnesses called by the presenting officer:  Witness A [REDACTED]  Witness B [REDACTED]  Witness C [REDACTED]  Pupil C (Former pupil at Bede Academy)  Pupil E (Former pupil at Bede Academy)  Witness D [REDACTED] No witnesses were called on behalf of Mr Lawler. Decision and reasons The panel announced its decision and reasons as follows: Mr Lawler qualified as a teacher in 1999. From 2015 to 2020, Mr Lawler had been employed as a teacher of history at Bede Academy in Northumberland. In January 2022, Mr Lawler joined Monarch Education, a supply teacher agency. One of the schools which Mr Lawler attended as a supply teacher was Bristol Brunel Academy. On 25 November 2022, Bristol’s Local Authority Designated Officer conveyed a strategy meeting in regard to concerns raised about Mr Lawler’s actions in both his private life and in the classroom. Following this process, Monarch Education no longer used Mr Lawler and Bristol's Local Authority Designated Officer submitted a referral to the TRA. Following the TRA’s own investigation, it has alleged a number of allegations against Mr Lawler which are the subject of this hearing. Findings of fact The findings of fact are as follows: 1. W hilst employed as a Teacher at Bede Academy from around September 2015 – December 2020, you published and/or endorsed one or more offensive comments, by; 8 a. in or around Autumn 2015, co-authoring an article, ‘How to Discern True from False Religion’ with Individual A, in The Flock, which stated that: i. “Catholicism is the one true religion and … all other religions are false, and of all the false religions Islam is demonstrably the most demonic. ii. “anal copulation between two men is an unnatural, unhealthy, disgusting perversion” iii. “killing children in the womb by abortion is a great wickedness” iv. That Islam is “Satanically inspired” b. in or around Autumn 2015, authoring an article, ‘Part 2 – Traitors’, in The Flock, which stated that: i. “The majority of Priests, Bishops and Cardinals (including many of the occupants of two entire floors of the sodomite-run Domus Sancta Marthae) are traitors to the Faith…” ii. “A very large number of [Catholic priests] are practising sodomites (quite openly) and predatory homosexual child- molesters” c. in or around Spring 2018, authoring an article, ‘Tales from the CCRS’, in The Flock, in which you referred to: i. “Sodomite ‘marriage’” (as something which Catholics should not approve); ii. “the satanic evil that has infected and taken over the vast majority of the human element of Holy Mother Church (especially the Episcopacy). Before the panel were a number of editions of ‘The Flock’ which appeared to be a digital newsletter with articles relating to the catholic faith. The Flock describes itself in the following terms: “The Flock is the quarterly publication of Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. It is robustly orthodox and not for the faint hearted and heretics. Liberal bishops should seek medical advice before reading.” It is openly published on a website purported to be run by an organisation called ‘Pro Ecclesia