A school trust chief who said he hoped Ofsted inspectors would go under a lorry on black ice and sent racist messages to colleagues has been banned from teaching.

Lee Hessey, who was responsible for managing six primary schools as chief executive officer of The Forge Academy Trust based in Nottinghamshire, also called parents who complained about him "vermin and pond life".

A Teacher Regulation Agency (TRA) panel found Hessey called parents "low life" and a "stupid cow" in messages, which were deemed derogatory, inappropriate and "potentially impugning a person's mental health".

In his evidence, Hessey said he was "letting off steam" and the texts did not represent his "true beliefs".

The panel said it found it "wholly inappropriate to express the hope that Ofsted inspectors would die in a road traffic incident".

"The language was abusive, offensive and far removed from the standards expected of a head teacher," it added.

Some of Hessey's racist messages included derogatory references to Muslims and African people. The tribunal also heard he made references which the panel perceived as mocking a disability.

The panel added that Hessey admitted the allegations, and said in his evidence that the comments were not "statements of his true beliefs" but rather "letting off steam" to two colleagues in a closed message group, sometimes outside of work hours and during a period of stress while performing a difficult and responsible role.

The TRA panel said Hessey became chief executive officer of the trust on 1 September 2016.

During the investigation, text messages between Hessey and two colleagues from September 2022 to April 2023 were disclosed in which it was alleged that he used inappropriate and discriminatory language.

The panel found there was no evidence to suggest that Hessey's actions were not deliberate or that he was acting under extreme duress.

It added: "Even if the tone of the messaging group was, at times, encouraged by others or reflected a culture of inappropriate 'banter', Hessey was the most senior person in the group.

"He was the CEO and interim head teacher, and was expected to set the standard. The fact that others did not challenge him did not lessen his own responsibility."

The panel said there was "substantial evidence" of Hessey's positive contributions to schools in deprived communities and that he had achieved "significant improvements".

It did not suggest an indefinite ban, but this was overruled by a senior TRA official acting on behalf of the education secretary, who said a prohibition order was "proportionate" and in the "public interest".

Hessey is banned indefinitely from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England.

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