A maths teacher who was spotted walking naked through a residential street in Hebburn has been found guilty of misconduct by a professional tribunal, with the panel now considering whether to recommend a teaching ban.
Late Night Incident on Ellison Street
The Teaching Regulation Agency disciplinary hearing heard that Andrew Peacock, who served as deputy head of the maths department at Hetton Academy, was reported to police by concerned pubgoers in November 2023. The incident occurred on Ellison Street in Hebburn, where two members of the public observed the educator completely unclothed during a late night walk.
Police Caution and Professional Consequences
Mr Peacock accepted a police caution for a public order offence, specifically for causing harassment, alarm or distress. The tribunal panel, consisting of Carl Lygo, Suhel Ahmed and Beverley Williams, found all allegations against him proven, including that he had been naked in a public place, failed to inform his school about his arrest, and that his conduct constituted both a criminal offence and dishonesty.
During the virtual hearing on February 5, TRA case presenter Leah Redden detailed how the witnesses felt "panicked and terrified" by the encounter, with one stating she "did not know what he was planning on doing" and that the incident made her "think twice about being out at night."
Naturist Defence and School Response
Mr Peacock, who did not attend the hearing, claimed through his defence that he was a naturist who had been delivering food in the area before deciding to take a brief walk by the river. He asserted he spent less than a minute outdoors before hearing a voice and returning to his car.
Hetton Academy Principal Vicky Pinkney gave evidence that Mr Peacock had not informed her of his arrest for over a week, with the school only learning about the incident when contacted by the local authority designated officer. She expressed being "quite shocked" by his behaviour and stated she believed it did affect the school, despite Mr Peacock's contention that his naturism was a personal matter.
Professional Standards Breached
The tribunal found that Mr Peacock's actions "amounted to misconduct and fell significantly short of the standards expected from the profession." Panel chair Carl Lygo emphasised that as an experienced teacher, Mr Peacock "would have been familiar with his responsibilities around safeguarding" and should have informed his superiors about the arrest.
Mr Peacock had been employed at Hetton Academy since 2013 and served as deputy head of maths from 2022 until his resignation in 2024, which occurred prior to an internal disciplinary hearing. Principal Pinkney described him as "an okay teacher" whose results "were not always where perhaps they should have been" but noted there had been no previous concerns about his conduct.
Decision Pending on Teaching Future
The tribunal panel will now decide whether to recommend that the Secretary of State for Education imposes a teaching ban. In his evidence, Mr Peacock claimed he accepted the police caution to "avoid attracting media attention" and protect the school's reputation, and denied seeking to be seen, intending to alarm anyone, or seeking sexual gratification.
However, the TRA maintained that his actions constituted a criminal offence rather than a "simple act of naturism," particularly given the residential nature of the area with numerous houses facing the street where the incident occurred.
