William Garwood, 60, made the remarks just days after beginning his role at St Mary's Menston Catholic Voluntary Academy in West Yorkshire. The comments were made during a year 11 history class when a student asked about just wars.
During the lesson on the history of Nazi Germany, Garwood stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin was killing "satanic Nazis" in Ukraine and that the world is run by billionaires who created "evil Ukrainians." He also commented that "gay and transgender people are mentally ill" and suggested billionaires caused transgenderism and influenced media portrayals. He further claimed that billionaires created transgender people and influenced media coverage.
The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel heard that Garwood asserted his right to religious belief in Islam and the philosophical belief of anti-Nazism under the Equality Act 2010. He also stated that the TRA's investigation was a "political reaction" to his comments, which he believed reflected a "legitimate difference of opinion."
However, the panel found Garwood's comments to be inappropriate and unrelated to the curriculum. The panel concluded that his remarks amounted to a justification of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and fell within the scope of discriminatory behavior. While an allegation that he claimed 9/11 was planned by the U.S. government was rejected, the panel noted that the statements about Ukrainians, and gay and transgender people were generalizations that were inappropriate, especially in a classroom setting.
Garwood, who joined the school in late September 2023 and taught for only three days the following week before making the comments, has been banned from teaching until June 2032. The TRA panel cited a high risk of repetition in its decision.