A SCHOOL governor who wore an offensive T-shirt to a children’s sports day said he has been unfairly punished after he was banned from a school.

Craig McBeth said he immediately apologised and turned the t-shirt, which had a swear word on it, inside out, when asked to by the headteacher of Park Primary School in Colne.


The single father said he thought that was the end of the matter, but was surprised when he received a phone call the next day informing him he was no longer allowed on school grounds.


Mr McBeth, who has two children at the Rutland Street school, said: “It was a Red Dwarf T-shirt with a picture of Lister on it and it says ‘Let’s go out and t*** it’.

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“Towards the end of the event we were having a fathers race and the headteacher noticed my T-shirt and said it was not appropriate. I apologised and turned it inside out and thought that was the end of the matter.


“It was a mistake, an oversight on my part. I was not thinking about sports day when I put it on.”


The 36-year-old said he received an email from the chair of governors later that evening asking him to meet with the head the next day, but he did not see the need after he had already apologised.


Mr McBeth, who had been a governor for four years but has since resigned, said: “The headteacher then phoned me and said I was barred from the school premises.


“I found out after the sports day some of the parents went on Facebook and made a fuss about it and that got a lot of people interested.


“Any right-minded person would think this was an overreaction.”


Mr McBeth, who is the editor of online magazine Love Mini, said he did not pick his children up on the last day of term, because of the ban.


This prompted a phone call from the school and social services.


“I told them I was not there because they had banned me from the school.


“I then got a phone call from social services asking why I had not picked my daughter up. The school also called the police because I did not pick up my daughter for about 40 minutes.


“There has to be an end to this situation. My children have to go to school and I have to pick them up.”


Mr McBeth said he will not be able to carry out his duties as a school governor because meetings are held on the premises and he is considering moving his children to a different school because he feels ‘victimised’.


A letter sent to Mr McBeth from Lancashire County Council solicitor Lynn Brewer said the T-shirt had a slogan ‘containing extremely foul and offensive language’.


She said: “I understand the incident has been reported in social media and given your position as a governor potentially brought the school into disrepute.


“Such behaviour on your part is wholly unacceptable and will not be tolerated by the school or Local Education Authority.”


The letter adds he is no longer permitted to come on to the school premises and the prohibition will continue until further notice. He was also warned he could face a fine of £500 if found trespassing.


Sarah Midgley, headteacher at Park Primary School, said: “I can confirm that Mr McBeth has resigned and is no longer a governor at our school.
“This matter is now closed and I’m looking forward to getting back to normal school life in September.”


Cllr Joe Cooney said the school had clear policies and guidelines.
“We all have to bear in mind when you take on these roles such as a councillor or governor you are held to a higher standard and unfortunately this time he has not met that standard,” he said.


Cllr Jonathan Nixon said he did not think the school should have banned him and the situation had been blown out of proportion.


“He was stupid to wear the T-shirt and he apologised at the time,” he said.


“He should make an official apology and then that should be the end of it.”
Lancashire Police confirmed they were called by the school, but did not attend.