A teaching assistant at Bloemfontein Primary school in County Durham has lost he job after a parent grassed her up when they found her lingerie modelling photos online.

21-year-old Gemma Laird said the school was already aware of her modelling work with Lexi Fashions when she applied for the job, and only fired her because they didn’t want to upset the parent who complained.

Gemma says she was made to feel “like a prostitute”.

She says:

I had been doing really well in the job and was getting great feedback. They said I was a natural with the children.

After a week, I got called into the office and Laura Liddell, the headmistress, said, “I don’t want to have this conversation with you but I have to.

She sat me down and said somebody had been on my Facebook page and discovered that I was doing modelling work. They had reported me for it.

I was told that they didn’t want to damage the school’s reputation and that people would lose respect for the school if they found out I was a model.

Another thing she said was that some of the pupils have low self esteem, and she didn’t want them to search for me on Facebook or Instagram.

She said she doesn’t want her year six pupils thinking it is acceptable to be a model. She made me feel dirty and like I was a prostitute. It’s ridiculous.

The headmistress in question stands by her decision:

Images VIA

Members of staff and those on apprenticeship placement in school are expected to adhere to certain standards of behaviour, including in relation to their use of social media, and to set a good example to pupils.

It was brought to our attention that images which were not appropriate and which did not comply with our expected standards had been posted on social media by a newly appointed apprentice.

Unfortunately we felt that we had no choice but to bring the placement to an end in order to offer the person the chance to seek an alternative placement elsewhere at the earliest opportunity.

Not fair. Not fair at all. All those 12 year olds robbed of having a fit teacher, probably the one class they looked forward to all day. Would have probably ended up being the subject of their first wanks too. But now that dream will never be realised and all because some chump parent looked his kid’s teacher up on Facebook (what for, I wonder?). That part about her modelling work potentially damaging pupils’ ‘self-esteem’ is such a load of bollocks too. More like damaged that hater parent’s self-esteem.

Suppose this gives a little boost to her modelling career though? So not all bad news then.