Shamed Clitheroe Royal Grammar School porn case teacher in unfair dismissal claim

A FORMER senior teacher at a Clitheroe high school who was suspended amid child pornography allegations is now claiming unfair dismissal.

Ian Lawson was deputy head at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School and in overall charge of its Chatburn Road site, but earlier this year was convicted at Preston Crown Court after admitting possessing 148 indecent images of children.

The court heard that one of the pictures fell into the most serious “Level Five” category, another was in Level Four and the rest were in the lowest-ranking Level One. None of the images related to children at the school and there was no suggestion of improper behaviour towards children there.

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Police had seized two computers from Mr Lawson’s home in Longridge following his arrest in March 2010 and he was suspended from his job at the grammar school while investigations were ongoing. During the Preston court proceedings the court was told he had resigned, but it is understood the unfair dismissal claim relates to a dispute over statutory annual leave entitlement or payment for it.

Mr Lawson and representatives of Clitheroe Royal Grammar School are to attend a tribunal hearing in Manchester next Thursday, September 15th.

Following his conviction in April Mr Lawson was sentenced to a three-year community supervision order, ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for five years and given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order. He was also ordered to pay £1,500 towards prosecution costs.

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