Sammy Laurent, a former assistant housemaster at King Edward's School in Surrey, has been prohibited from teaching after being found to have breached professional boundaries with a student. The school, which charges up to £51,000 annually, terminated Laurent's employment between 2020 and 2023.
The disciplinary action followed findings that Laurent sent late-night emails to the student, sometimes as late as 10:58 p.m., including during holidays. He also held Zoom calls with the student while reportedly off sick from work and participated in conversations where the student discussed the attractiveness of others.
Witnesses reported observing Laurent stroking the student's hair in a cafe and placing his hands on her shoulders in a manner deemed "intimate" and inappropriate by a tribunal. CCTV footage reportedly corroborated these observations. Further concerns were raised when the pair were seen meeting alone in a common room while Laurent was supposed to be on sick leave.
Concerns about Laurent's conduct were first raised in March 2022 regarding his email communications. In December of the same year, matrons noted him being alone with the child in the boarding house. By March 2023, three female pupils expressed their concerns to a teacher, who subsequently reported safeguarding issues. Despite being instructed to leave the school premises in June 2023, Laurent remained on site overnight. Shortly thereafter, a colleague reported further concerns about his behavior with a student.
A spokesperson for King Edward's School stated that the school welcomes the panel's findings and that safeguarding concerns were addressed through the school's processes, with cooperation from external agencies. A union representative described Laurent as an inexperienced teacher with "good albeit misplaced intentions."