"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message
...
On Aug 27, 8:56 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

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On Aug 27, 8:11 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

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On Aug 27, 7:28 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

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On Aug 27, 6:04 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

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On Aug 27, 5:43 pm, "The Todal" wrote:
Webmanager_CritEst wrote:
Presumed guilty: The loving stepfather devoted to helping
autistic
youngsters now fighting to clear his name

By Natasha Courtenay-Smith

Last updated at 12:26 AM on 27th August 2008

Every second Thursday, John Pinnington follows the same,
rather
bleak
routine.

After breakfast, he heads to his local JobCentre, where he
collects
his dole money for the week ahead.

It is a paltry sum, a mere fraction of what he used to earn
when
he
was the respected deputy headmaster of an Oxfordshire
college
for
young adults with learning difficulties.

He and his wife Rosie no longer enjoy the comforts of the
lifestyle
they once led.

Instead of playing the martyr and appealing for help from
Daily
Wail
readers, he should behave like a professional. Apply for
jobs,
submit
his
CV
and explain if necessary with a copy of the court judgment
that
he
is
in
fact scrupulously honest and has never abused anyone.

But he has probably got himself a reputation now as a whinger
and a
troublemaker.

Again, you have no idea.

WM

The rules have been introduced at the demand of the red tops, a
few
are
bound to suffer best he find another job where he dont need a
check.

Did you read the full piece?

WM

Yes I did as did the Lord Justice

'He has not worked since and now considers himself unemployable.'

With every job he applies for - including more teaching jobs, a job
as
a groundsman and voluntary positions - he tells employers about the
stain on his CRB.

'I think even if I was applying for a job stacking shelves, the
allegations would still mean I wouldn't get it,' says John.

'And I understand the logic: who wants to employ a man who has been
sacked, who has sordid allegations against him and a two-year gap on
his CV? Why take the risk?'

*****
W

Where would the stacking shelves job be then mothercare ?

It does not matter. It is about the 'public face' shown by employees
to customers.

You think a man of his calibre should stack shelves? A useful
application of training and skills?

WM

Well his school days are history better look at other jobs, that's the
reality.

Not quite got the idea of the story have you?

I expect it from The T, but you?

WM


Explain what you are getting at then.

On Aug 27, 9:06 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...



On Aug 27, 8:56 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 8:11 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 7:28 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 6:04 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 5:43 pm, "The Todal" wrote:
Webmanager_CritEst wrote:
Presumed guilty: The loving stepfather devoted to helping
autistic
youngsters now fighting to clear his name

By Natasha Courtenay-Smith

Last updated at 12:26 AM on 27th August 2008

Every second Thursday, John Pinnington follows the same,
rather
bleak
routine.

After breakfast, he heads to his local JobCentre, where he
collects
his dole money for the week ahead.

It is a paltry sum, a mere fraction of what he used to earn
when
he
was the respected deputy headmaster of an Oxfordshire
college
for
young adults with learning difficulties.

He and his wife Rosie no longer enjoy the comforts of the
lifestyle
they once led.

Instead of playing the martyr and appealing for help from
Daily
Wail
readers, he should behave like a professional. Apply for
jobs,
submit
his
CV
and explain if necessary with a copy of the court judgment
that
he
is
in
fact scrupulously honest and has never abused anyone.

But he has probably got himself a reputation now as a whinger
and a
troublemaker.

Again, you have no idea.

WM

The rules have been introduced at the demand of the red tops, a
few
are
bound to suffer best he find another job where he dont need a
check.

Did you read the full piece?

WM

Yes I did as did the Lord Justice

'He has not worked since and now considers himself unemployable.'

With every job he applies for - including more teaching jobs, a job
as
a groundsman and voluntary positions - he tells employers about the
stain on his CRB.

'I think even if I was applying for a job stacking shelves, the
allegations would still mean I wouldn't get it,' says John.

'And I understand the logic: who wants to employ a man who has been
sacked, who has sordid allegations against him and a two-year gap on
his CV? Why take the risk?'

*****
W

Where would the stacking shelves job be then mothercare ?

It does not matter. It is about the 'public face' shown by employees
to customers.

You think a man of his calibre should stack shelves? A useful
application of training and skills?

WM

Well his school days are history better look at other jobs, that's the
reality.

Not quite got the idea of the story have you?

I expect it from The T, but you?

WM

Explain what you are getting at then.

He is Unemployable. That is an official term, which now appears to
apply to him. Such people get basic JSA (or equivalent).

Now, for me, as much as it is unacceptable, it is more
understandable ... for him, and many others come?

It is prejudice and requires serious and rapid legal redress.

WM

On Aug 27, 9:06 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...



On Aug 27, 8:56 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 8:11 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 7:28 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 6:04 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 5:43 pm, "The Todal" wrote:
Webmanager_CritEst wrote:
Presumed guilty: The loving stepfather devoted to helping
autistic
youngsters now fighting to clear his name

By Natasha Courtenay-Smith

Last updated at 12:26 AM on 27th August 2008

Every second Thursday, John Pinnington follows the same,
rather
bleak
routine.

After breakfast, he heads to his local JobCentre, where he
collects
his dole money for the week ahead.

It is a paltry sum, a mere fraction of what he used to earn
when
he
was the respected deputy headmaster of an Oxfordshire
college
for
young adults with learning difficulties.

He and his wife Rosie no longer enjoy the comforts of the
lifestyle
they once led.

Instead of playing the martyr and appealing for help from
Daily
Wail
readers, he should behave like a professional. Apply for
jobs,
submit
his
CV
and explain if necessary with a copy of the court judgment
that
he
is
in
fact scrupulously honest and has never abused anyone.

But he has probably got himself a reputation now as a whinger
and a
troublemaker.

Again, you have no idea.

WM

The rules have been introduced at the demand of the red tops, a
few
are
bound to suffer best he find another job where he dont need a
check.

Did you read the full piece?

WM

Yes I did as did the Lord Justice

'He has not worked since and now considers himself unemployable.'

With every job he applies for - including more teaching jobs, a job
as
a groundsman and voluntary positions - he tells employers about the
stain on his CRB.

'I think even if I was applying for a job stacking shelves, the
allegations would still mean I wouldn't get it,' says John.

'And I understand the logic: who wants to employ a man who has been
sacked, who has sordid allegations against him and a two-year gap on
his CV? Why take the risk?'

*****
W

Where would the stacking shelves job be then mothercare ?

It does not matter. It is about the 'public face' shown by employees
to customers.

You think a man of his calibre should stack shelves? A useful
application of training and skills?

WM

Well his school days are history better look at other jobs, that's the
reality.

Not quite got the idea of the story have you?

I expect it from The T, but you?

WM

Explain what you are getting at then.

He is Unemployable. That is an official term, which now appears to
apply to him. Such people get basic JSA (or equivalent).

Now, for me, as much as it is unacceptable, it is more
understandable ... for him, and many others come?

It is prejudice and requires serious and rapid legal redress.

WM

"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message
...
On Aug 27, 9:06 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...



On Aug 27, 8:56 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 8:11 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 7:28 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 6:04 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in
message

...

On Aug 27, 5:43 pm, "The Todal"
wrote:
Webmanager_CritEst wrote:
Presumed guilty: The loving stepfather devoted to
helping
autistic
youngsters now fighting to clear his name

By Natasha Courtenay-Smith

Last updated at 12:26 AM on 27th August 2008

Every second Thursday, John Pinnington follows the same,
rather
bleak
routine.

After breakfast, he heads to his local JobCentre, where
he
collects
his dole money for the week ahead.

It is a paltry sum, a mere fraction of what he used to
earn
when
he
was the respected deputy headmaster of an Oxfordshire
college
for
young adults with learning difficulties.

He and his wife Rosie no longer enjoy the comforts of
the
lifestyle
they once led.

Instead of playing the martyr and appealing for help from
Daily
Wail
readers, he should behave like a professional. Apply for
jobs,
submit
his
CV
and explain if necessary with a copy of the court judgment
that
he
is
in
fact scrupulously honest and has never abused anyone.

But he has probably got himself a reputation now as a
whinger
and a
troublemaker.

Again, you have no idea.

WM

The rules have been introduced at the demand of the red tops,
a
few
are
bound to suffer best he find another job where he dont need a
check.

Did you read the full piece?

WM

Yes I did as did the Lord Justice

'He has not worked since and now considers himself unemployable.'

With every job he applies for - including more teaching jobs, a
job
as
a groundsman and voluntary positions - he tells employers about
the
stain on his CRB.

'I think even if I was applying for a job stacking shelves, the
allegations would still mean I wouldn't get it,' says John.

'And I understand the logic: who wants to employ a man who has
been
sacked, who has sordid allegations against him and a two-year gap
on
his CV? Why take the risk?'

*****
W

Where would the stacking shelves job be then mothercare ?

It does not matter. It is about the 'public face' shown by employees
to customers.

You think a man of his calibre should stack shelves? A useful
application of training and skills?

WM

Well his school days are history better look at other jobs, that's the
reality.

Not quite got the idea of the story have you?

I expect it from The T, but you?

WM

Explain what you are getting at then.

He is Unemployable. That is an official term, which now appears to
apply to him. Such people get basic JSA (or equivalent).

Now, for me, as much as it is unacceptable, it is more
understandable ... for him, and many others come?

It is prejudice and requires serious and rapid legal redress.

WM


The reason this enhanced checking was introduced was because of unproven
allegations made against Huntley, when such a system was introduced it was
bound to lead to such a case as this. I don't agree with it but the reality
is he is not going to get a job working with children. I would not say he is
Unemployable he has not got a criminal record, he can take up alternative
work not needing a CRB. I know what you are saying but we are where we are
at not where we want to be.

On Aug 27, 9:25 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...



On Aug 27, 9:06 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 8:56 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 8:11 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 7:28 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 6:04 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in
message

...

On Aug 27, 5:43 pm, "The Todal"
wrote:
Webmanager_CritEst wrote:
Presumed guilty: The loving stepfather devoted to
helping
autistic
youngsters now fighting to clear his name

By Natasha Courtenay-Smith

Last updated at 12:26 AM on 27th August 2008

Every second Thursday, John Pinnington follows the same,
rather
bleak
routine.

After breakfast, he heads to his local JobCentre, where
he
collects
his dole money for the week ahead.

It is a paltry sum, a mere fraction of what he used to
earn
when
he
was the respected deputy headmaster of an Oxfordshire
college
for
young adults with learning difficulties.

He and his wife Rosie no longer enjoy the comforts of
the
lifestyle
they once led.

Instead of playing the martyr and appealing for help from
Daily
Wail
readers, he should behave like a professional. Apply for
jobs,
submit
his
CV
and explain if necessary with a copy of the court judgment
that
he
is
in
fact scrupulously honest and has never abused anyone.

But he has probably got himself a reputation now as a
whinger
and a
troublemaker.

Again, you have no idea.

WM

The rules have been introduced at the demand of the red tops,
a
few
are
bound to suffer best he find another job where he dont need a
check.

Did you read the full piece?

WM

Yes I did as did the Lord Justice

'He has not worked since and now considers himself unemployable.'

With every job he applies for - including more teaching jobs, a
job
as
a groundsman and voluntary positions - he tells employers about
the
stain on his CRB.

'I think even if I was applying for a job stacking shelves, the
allegations would still mean I wouldn't get it,' says John.

'And I understand the logic: who wants to employ a man who has
been
sacked, who has sordid allegations against him and a two-year gap
on
his CV? Why take the risk?'

*****
W

Where would the stacking shelves job be then mothercare ?

It does not matter. It is about the 'public face' shown by employees
to customers.

You think a man of his calibre should stack shelves? A useful
application of training and skills?

WM

Well his school days are history better look at other jobs, that's the
reality.

Not quite got the idea of the story have you?

I expect it from The T, but you?

WM

Explain what you are getting at then.

He is Unemployable. That is an official term, which now appears to
apply to him. Such people get basic JSA (or equivalent).

Now, for me, as much as it is unacceptable, it is more
understandable ... for him, and many others come?

It is prejudice and requires serious and rapid legal redress.

WM

The reason this enhanced checking was introduced was because of unproven
allegations made against Huntley, when such a system was introduced it was
bound to lead to such a case as this. I don't agree with it but the reality
is he is not going to get a job working with children. I would not say he is
Unemployable he has not got a criminal record, he can take up alternative
work not needing a CRB. I know what you are saying but we are where we are
at not where we want to be.

It is not about CRB, alone, it is about the application for *all* jobs
and misinformed prejudice. We tackle prejudice with law.

WM

On Aug 27, 9:25 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...



On Aug 27, 9:06 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 8:56 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 8:11 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 7:28 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in message

...

On Aug 27, 6:04 pm, "Airmax" wrote:
"Webmanager_CritEst" wrote in
message

...

On Aug 27, 5:43 pm, "The Todal"
wrote:
Webmanager_CritEst wrote:
Presumed guilty: The loving stepfather devoted to
helping
autistic
youngsters now fighting to clear his name

By Natasha Courtenay-Smith

Last updated at 12:26 AM on 27th August 2008

Every second Thursday, John Pinnington follows the same,
rather
bleak
routine.

After breakfast, he heads to his local JobCentre, where
he
collects
his dole money for the week ahead.

It is a paltry sum, a mere fraction of what he used to
earn
when
he
was the respected deputy headmaster of an Oxfordshire
college
for
young adults with learning difficulties.

He and his wife Rosie no longer enjoy the comforts of
the
lifestyle
they once led.

Instead of playing the martyr and appealing for help from
Daily
Wail
readers, he should behave like a professional. Apply for
jobs,
submit
his
CV
and explain if necessary with a copy of the court judgment
that
he
is
in
fact scrupulously honest and has never abused anyone.

But he has probably got himself a reputation now as a
whinger
and a
troublemaker.

Again, you have no idea.

WM

The rules have been introduced at the demand of the red tops,
a
few
are
bound to suffer best he find another job where he dont need a
check.

Did you read the full piece?

WM

Yes I did as did the Lord Justice

'He has not worked since and now considers himself unemployable.'

With every job he applies for - including more teaching jobs, a
job
as
a groundsman and voluntary positions - he tells employers about
the
stain on his CRB.

'I think even if I was applying for a job stacking shelves, the
allegations would still mean I wouldn't get it,' says John.

'And I understand the logic: who wants to employ a man who has
been
sacked, who has sordid allegations against him and a two-year gap
on
his CV? Why take the risk?'

*****
W

Where would the stacking shelves job be then mothercare ?

It does not matter. It is about the 'public face' shown by employees
to customers.

You think a man of his calibre should stack shelves? A useful
application of training and skills?

WM

Well his school days are history better look at other jobs, that's the
reality.

Not quite got the idea of the story have you?

I expect it from The T, but you?

WM

Explain what you are getting at then.

He is Unemployable. That is an official term, which now appears to
apply to him. Such people get basic JSA (or equivalent).

Now, for me, as much as it is unacceptable, it is more
understandable ... for him, and many others come?

It is prejudice and requires serious and rapid legal redress.

WM

The reason this enhanced checking was introduced was because of unproven
allegations made against Huntley, when such a system was introduced it was
bound to lead to such a case as this. I don't agree with it but the reality
is he is not going to get a job working with children. I would not say he is
Unemployable he has not got a criminal record, he can take up alternative
work not needing a CRB. I know what you are saying but we are where we are
at not where we want to be.

It is not about CRB, alone, it is about the application for *all* jobs
and misinformed prejudice. We tackle prejudice with law.

WM

On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:49:31 +0100, "The Todal"
wrote:

He has chosen a field of work where he was always likely to face allegations
of abuse. It's not so different from a policeman who might regularly face
accusations of being violent or corrupt.

That's an interesting comparison. I don't believe that a policeman
who's falsely accused of being violent or corrupt loses his job and is
unable to get a job with another police force because of those false
accusations.

The answer is to deal with it professionally. If potential employers don't
like him, it's all too easy for him to blame it on his CRB record. Maybe
he's also a bit of an arrogant ******* who hasn't been that easy to work
with, and this shines through.

I'm rather surprised that you can infer that from the report.

When the career of someone who's innocent can be destroyed by false
accusations, there must be something wrong with the system. Have you
no empathy?

Mike.

On 27 Aug, 17:14, Webmanager_CritEst wrote:
Presumed guilty: The loving stepfather devoted to helping autistic
youngsters now fighting to clear his name

By Natasha Courtenay-Smith

Last updated at 12:26 AM on 27th August 2008

Every second Thursday, John Pinnington follows the same, rather bleak
routine.

After breakfast, he heads to his local JobCentre, where he collects
his dole money for the week ahead.

It is a paltry sum, a mere fraction of what he used to earn when he
was the respected deputy headmaster of an Oxfordshire college for
young adults with learning difficulties.

He and his wife Rosie no longer enjoy the comforts of the lifestyle
they once led.
John Pinnington with his wife Rosie

Living under a shadow: John Pinnington with his wife Rosie

They have to rely on the goodwill of friends with holiday homes in the
UK when they need a break, and can barely afford to keep their neat
three-bedroom terrace house in the tranquil Oxfordshire village of
Benson.

Without his £35,0000-a-year income, they have been forced to resort to
selling off various family possessions in order to pay their mortgage.

For John's once-excellent career prospects have been destroyed because
of a series of unfounded and spurious indecent assault claims made by
three young adults in his care.

Despite police investigations into each of the claims, none of the
allegations has resulted in criminal charges or conviction but,
despite this, they remain on his teaching record - preventing him from
securing another job.

Earlier this month, John, 59, lost a High Court battle to clear his
name, despite the judge admitting the 'serious weaknesses' in the
allegations.

In a judgment which will affect thousands of carers in charge of
children and young adults in Britain, the judge ruled that future
employers should always be made aware of such allegations, however
'weak and unreliable' they were.

The case is a test of tough new vetting laws introduced after the
infamous murders of two Soham schoolgirls in 2002.

The girls' killer, Ian Huntley, had been able to get a job as a school
caretaker despite having faced repeated allegations of sex offences
involving underage girls.

Since then, all criminal allegations, whether or not they are proven
in court, have been entered on suspects' police records and disclosed
to employers who request enhanced Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks.

But John, who says his 'life and livelihood' have been destroyed,
describes the judgment as 'political correctness gone mad'.

He says social workers and police are so afraid of doubting the word
of those with special needs that those caring for them have no
recourse if accused of any wrongdoing.
Ian Huntley

Ian Huntley: The Soham murderer worked in education despite previous
allegations. His case changed the laws on criminal record checks

The fact that he has the support of numerous ex-colleagues and parents
of his former charges, he says, counts for nothing.

John's nightmare began in the summer of 2001, when a 19-year-old man,
who had a history of making wild allegations against a number of
individuals, including his own father and brother, accused John of
having sexually assaulted him a year earlier.

But, within a fortnight, he withdrew the allegations.

What makes John's case all the more disturbing is that all three of
his accusers suffer from autism to such a degree that they are unable
to speak.

Their allegations have been extracted using 'Facilitated
Communication' (FC), a controversial method which relies on one
individual resting his or her hand on the arm of a person with
restricted mental or physical capacity, effectively guiding them as
they communicate using a keyboard.

It is a method that is banned in countries such as the U.S., Australia
and New Zealand, after critics warned it is like using a Ouija board -
but not in the UK.

In John's case, the person helping take the statement from each of the
three men in question wasn't properly trained in FC - indeed, on one
occasion he says the 'facilitator' was the mother of an accuser.

But the allegations were reported to the police who in turn filed them
to the CRB, who put them on his record.

John says: 'In the past seven years, I've made complaints to everyone
from Oxford Social Services to the Home Office in a bid to try to
reclaim my good name.

'Yet I feel like I've been trying to slay the Hydra - every time I
chop off one of its heads, up spring two more.

'I have a huge folder full of letters and cards of support from
parents of all the children I've taught over the years, my former
colleagues, friends at church, family and neighbours. But really, they
are all meaningless.

'They help me at my lowest ebb emotionally, but they can't do anything
to save my career - or my reputation.

'My once-clean certificate now contains details of these farcical
allegations, simply because the police automatically filed them to the
CRB.

'I don't see why police CRB checks should include unsubstantiated
abuse allegations if there is not a good reason to believe they are
true.

'In my case, the allegations are based on lies and are unfounded,
untested and unproven.

'Yet their presence on my CRB, which is a mandatory certificate for
anyone who works on a paid or volunteer basis with children or
vulnerable adults, is costing me my livelihood.

'This is political correctness gone mad, and the reason why is because
there are young adults with learning difficulties involved.

'If a woman cries rape and it is proved to be unfounded, a firm line
is taken against her and the man she has accused is exonerated.

'But no one is willing to take a firm line and say 'Look, these
individuals are not telling the truth' or 'This individual has a
history of compulsive lying' because the individuals in question have
learning difficulties. It's as though the word of a person with
disabilities cannot be challenged.'

Despite gaining the personal support of Boris Johnson, who until
recently was his MP, John hit what appeared to be a final brick wall
late last month, when, in a High Court case that could have
consequences for thousands of carers working with children and
vulnerable adults, he tried - and failed - to challenge the decision
by Thames Valley Police automatically to include unproven allegations
on his CRB.

There can be little doubt this situation is taking its toll on John
and Rosie.

'The strain on us has been tremendous,' says John. 'We have
grandchildren that we'd like to enjoy, but trying to clear my name has
taken over our entire world. For seven years it has been all I think
about.'
boris johnson

Backing: London Mayor Boris Johnson has supported John Pinnington's
fight to clear his name

It wasn't until late in life that John entered the teaching
profession, having previously spent much of his career working as a
technical illustrator.

He was inspired to change careers by the plight of his autistic
stepson, Stuart, now 32, his 57-year-old wife's son from a previous
relationship.

'When Rosie and I married, Stuart was seven ,' recalls John. 'He was a
very difficult child. He would scream constantly and Rosie was at her
wits' end. But I felt a natural empathy with him.'

In 1998, John was approached by a local charity (through which Stuart
had attended some residential and weekend courses) looking for an
extra pair of hands, and with his stepson in mind, he jumped at the
chance to help.

The charity was looking for individuals to help run the Rycotewood
Project, a social services funded course for young adults with autism.

'I'd reached a stage where I was ready to do something other than just
sit at the computer all day,' says John.

A year later, having gained a formal teaching qualification, John was
appointed project manager of the Rycotewood Project.

'I was over the moon,' says John. 'I felt I had a lot to offer. I
fully understood the dynamics of living with both an autistic child
and a young adult.'

However, at the end of 2000, the assault allegations that have since
dogged John's career began to surface.

He was told that one of his students, a young man in his late teens
known only as Pupil X, who had attended a residential week he'd
organised that summer in Wales, had accused another tutor of sexual
abuse.

'My initial reaction was one of horror and I had no doubt this tutor
had been falsely accused,' says John. 'What concerned me most was that
as the allegations had been made using FC, it is far too easy for the
facilitator to control the answers.'

Over the next six months, Pupil X continued to make and then withdraw
similar allegations against his support workers, and his brother and
his father.

'Actually, I and the other staff felt sympathy for this young man,'
says John. 'But given the sort of allegations he was making, we made
sure none of us was ever alone with him.'

John set about organising the summer residential trip for 2001. He was
advised not to allow Pupil X to attend and says the mother understood
when he explained that to her.

'But nothing prepared me for what happened next. The very next day,
Pupil X made allegations against me concerning the previous year's
residential course, again using FC.'

Despite this, John says, the boys' parents brought Pupil X and his
brother to the course and happily allowed them to be taught by him. At
the end of the course, John discovered the parents had reported him to
the police.

He was suspended while police investigated.

Rosie continues: 'John considered walking away from his job, but he
decided he'd fight to clear his name,' says Rosie. 'And with this
young man throwing similar accusations around, we thought it would all
be cleared up.'

And, at first, it seemed it had been. Thames Valley Police decided not
to pursue the case and within a month Pupil X withdrew his allegations
- although neither John nor his employers were told this until 2007.

And the individual who had helped Pupil X make his statement using FC
had admitted he wasn't sure if it was himself, or pupil X, ...

read more »

Like teaching this does appear to be a profession unsuited to males
given the current climate. I suppose the ideal thing for men would be
to have a plan B in reserve - perhaps some form of self employment
which would not require vetting or references. AIUI this is not an
isolated case and unstubstantiated allegations can ruin anyone in
these types of employment. Life can be a dangerous business in all
sorts of ways...

j

The Todal wrote:
Webmanager_CritEst wrote:
Presumed guilty: The loving stepfather devoted to helping autistic
youngsters now fighting to clear his name

By Natasha Courtenay-Smith

Last updated at 12:26 AM on 27th August 2008

Every second Thursday, John Pinnington follows the same, rather bleak
routine.

After breakfast, he heads to his local JobCentre, where he collects
his dole money for the week ahead.

It is a paltry sum, a mere fraction of what he used to earn when he
was the respected deputy headmaster of an Oxfordshire college for
young adults with learning difficulties.

He and his wife Rosie no longer enjoy the comforts of the lifestyle
they once led.

Instead of playing the martyr and appealing for help from Daily Wail
readers, he should behave like a professional. Apply for jobs, submit
his CV and explain if necessary with a copy of the court judgment
that he is in fact scrupulously honest and has never abused anyone.

But he has probably got himself a reputation now as a whinger and a
troublemaker.

I think that's rather unfair. Many employers will now avoid taking on such
applicants, just in case, so he's potentially blacklisted for life without
any finding of culpability against him.

If I was a frontline teacher (especially a man) I'd now be taking care to
avoid any complaints, with resulting detriment to the quality of education &
care offered to pupils.

On Aug 27, 10:15 pm, djornsk wrote:
On 27 Aug, 17:14, Webmanager_CritEst wrote:

Presumed guilty: The loving stepfather devoted to helping autistic
youngsters now fighting to clear his name

By Natasha Courtenay-Smith

Last updated at 12:26 AM on 27th August 2008

Every second Thursday, John Pinnington follows the same, rather bleak
routine.

After breakfast, he heads to his local JobCentre, where he collects
his dole money for the week ahead.

It is a paltry sum, a mere fraction of what he used to earn when he
was the respected deputy headmaster of an Oxfordshire college for
young adults with learning difficulties.

He and his wife Rosie no longer enjoy the comforts of the lifestyle
they once led.
John Pinnington with his wife Rosie

Living under a shadow: John Pinnington with his wife Rosie

They have to rely on the goodwill of friends with holiday homes in the
UK when they need a break, and can barely afford to keep their neat
three-bedroom terrace house in the tranquil Oxfordshire village of
Benson.

Without his £35,0000-a-year income, they have been forced to resort to
selling off various family possessions in order to pay their mortgage.

For John's once-excellent career prospects have been destroyed because
of a series of unfounded and spurious indecent assault claims made by
three young adults in his care.

Despite police investigations into each of the claims, none of the
allegations has resulted in criminal charges or conviction but,
despite this, they remain on his teaching record - preventing him from
securing another job.

Earlier this month, John, 59, lost a High Court battle to clear his
name, despite the judge admitting the 'serious weaknesses' in the
allegations.

In a judgment which will affect thousands of carers in charge of
children and young adults in Britain, the judge ruled that future
employers should always be made aware of such allegations, however
'weak and unreliable' they were.

The case is a test of tough new vetting laws introduced after the
infamous murders of two Soham schoolgirls in 2002.

The girls' killer, Ian Huntley, had been able to get a job as a school
caretaker despite having faced repeated allegations of sex offences
involving underage girls.

Since then, all criminal allegations, whether or not they are proven
in court, have been entered on suspects' police records and disclosed
to employers who request enhanced Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks.

But John, who says his 'life and livelihood' have been destroyed,
describes the judgment as 'political correctness gone mad'.

He says social workers and police are so afraid of doubting the word
of those with special needs that those caring for them have no
recourse if accused of any wrongdoing.
Ian Huntley

Ian Huntley: The Soham murderer worked in education despite previous
allegations. His case changed the laws on criminal record checks

The fact that he has the support of numerous ex-colleagues and parents
of his former charges, he says, counts for nothing.

John's nightmare began in the summer of 2001, when a 19-year-old man,
who had a history of making wild allegations against a number of
individuals, including his own father and brother, accused John of
having sexually assaulted him a year earlier.

But, within a fortnight, he withdrew the allegations.

What makes John's case all the more disturbing is that all three of
his accusers suffer from autism to such a degree that they are unable
to speak.

Their allegations have been extracted using 'Facilitated
Communication' (FC), a controversial method which relies on one
individual resting his or her hand on the arm of a person with
restricted mental or physical capacity, effectively guiding them as
they communicate using a keyboard.

It is a method that is banned in countries such as the U.S., Australia
and New Zealand, after critics warned it is like using a Ouija board -
but not in the UK.

In John's case, the person helping take the statement from each of the
three men in question wasn't properly trained in FC - indeed, on one
occasion he says the 'facilitator' was the mother of an accuser.

But the allegations were reported to the police who in turn filed them
to the CRB, who put them on his record.

John says: 'In the past seven years, I've made complaints to everyone
from Oxford Social Services to the Home Office in a bid to try to
reclaim my good name.

'Yet I feel like I've been trying to slay the Hydra - every time I
chop off one of its heads, up spring two more.

'I have a huge folder full of letters and cards of support from
parents of all the children I've taught over the years, my former
colleagues, friends at church, family and neighbours. But really, they
are all meaningless.

'They help me at my lowest ebb emotionally, but they can't do anything
to save my career - or my reputation.

'My once-clean certificate now contains details of these farcical
allegations, simply because the police automatically filed them to the
CRB.

'I don't see why police CRB checks should include unsubstantiated
abuse allegations if there is not a good reason to believe they are
true.

'In my case, the allegations are based on lies and are unfounded,
untested and unproven.

'Yet their presence on my CRB, which is a mandatory certificate for
anyone who works on a paid or volunteer basis with children or
vulnerable adults, is costing me my livelihood.

'This is political correctness gone mad, and the reason why is because
there are young adults with learning difficulties involved.

'If a woman cries rape and it is proved to be unfounded, a firm line
is taken against her and the man she has accused is exonerated.

'But no one is willing to take a firm line and say 'Look, these
individuals are not telling the truth' or 'This individual has a
history of compulsive lying' because the individuals in question have
learning difficulties. It's as though the word of a person with
disabilities cannot be challenged.'

Despite gaining the personal support of Boris Johnson, who until
recently was his MP, John hit what appeared to be a final brick wall
late last month, when, in a High Court case that could have
consequences for thousands of carers working with children and
vulnerable adults, he tried - and failed - to challenge the decision
by Thames Valley Police automatically to include unproven allegations
on his CRB.

There can be little doubt this situation is taking its toll on John
and Rosie.

'The strain on us has been tremendous,' says John. 'We have
grandchildren that we'd like to enjoy, but trying to clear my name has
taken over our entire world. For seven years it has been all I think
about.'
boris johnson

Backing: London Mayor Boris Johnson has supported John Pinnington's
fight to clear his name

It wasn't until late in life that John entered the teaching
profession, having previously spent much of his career working as a
technical illustrator.

He was inspired to change careers by the plight of his autistic
stepson, Stuart, now 32, his 57-year-old wife's son from a previous
relationship.

'When Rosie and I married, Stuart was seven ,' recalls John. 'He was a
very difficult child. He would scream constantly and Rosie was at her
wits' end. But I felt a natural empathy with him.'

In 1998, John was approached by a local charity (through which Stuart
had attended some residential and weekend courses) looking for an
extra pair of hands, and with his stepson in mind, he jumped at the
chance to help.

The charity was looking for individuals to help run the Rycotewood
Project, a social services funded course for young adults with autism.

'I'd reached a stage where I was ready to do something other than just
sit at the computer all day,' says John.

A year later, having gained a formal teaching qualification, John was
appointed project manager of the Rycotewood Project.

'I was over the moon,' says John. 'I felt I had a lot to offer. I
fully understood the dynamics of living with both an autistic child
and a young adult.'

However, at the end of 2000, the assault allegations that have since
dogged John's career began to surface.

He was told that one of his students, a young man in his late teens
known only as Pupil X, who had attended a residential week he'd
organised that summer in Wales, had accused another tutor of sexual
abuse.

'My initial reaction was one of horror and I had no doubt this tutor
had been falsely accused,' says John. 'What concerned me most was that
as the allegations had been made using FC, it is far too easy for the
facilitator to control the answers.'

Over the next six months, Pupil X continued to make and then withdraw
similar allegations against his support workers, and his brother and
his father.

'Actually, I and the other staff felt sympathy for this young man,'
says John. 'But given the sort of allegations he was making, we made
sure none of us was ever alone with him.'

John set about organising the summer residential trip for 2001. He was
advised not to allow Pupil X to attend and says the mother understood
when he explained that to her.

'But nothing prepared me for what happened next. The very next day,
Pupil X made allegations against me concerning the previous year's
residential course, again using FC.'

Despite this, John says, the boys' parents brought Pupil X and his
brother to the course and happily allowed them to be taught by him. At
the end of the course, John discovered the parents had reported him to
the police.

He was suspended while police investigated.

Rosie continues: 'John considered walking away from his job, but he
decided he'd fight to clear his name,' says Rosie. 'And with this
young man throwing similar accusations around, we thought it would all
be cleared up.'

And, at first, it seemed it had been. Thames Valley Police decided not
to pursue the case and within a month Pupil X withdrew his allegations
- although neither John nor his employers were told this until 2007.

And the individual who had helped Pupil X make his statement using FC
had admitted he wasn't sure if it was himself, or pupil X, ...

read more »

Like teaching this does appear to be a profession unsuited to males
given the current climate. I suppose the ideal thing for men would be
to have a plan B in reserve - perhaps some form of self employment
which would not require vetting or references. AIUI this is not an
isolated case and unstubstantiated allegations can ruin anyone in
these types of employment. Life can be a dangerous business in all
sorts of ways...

j

Yes, you are correct, many rebuild through SE, when they can.

WM