An “experienced and well-respected” teacher reported himself to the police after he wrapped his hands around his teenage daughter’s neck, shook her “vigorously” and threatened to kill her after discovering the nature of her sexual activity.

Now, that teacher, whose name and the school he worked at are suppressed, has been censured. This followed him being charged with assault on a person in a family relationship and receiving diversion by police.

According to the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal decision released on Wednesday, the teacher was arrested after he phoned the police on the evening of May 6, 2021, to turn himself in.

He described grabbing and shaking his 15-year-old daughter’s neck for around five seconds in a fit of anger.

While attacking her, he yelled: “I want to kill you, I want to f*****g kill you”. The assault occurred at their family home and the teen was uninjured.

After his arrest, the teacher asked to meet with the principal of the school at which he was employed.

Around a month later, he self-reported the assault to the Teaching Council. The school also reported the assault.

Later in 2021, the teacher appeared in the District Court and pleaded guilty to the criminal charge, but was offered diversion. Police later recommended the court dismiss the charge against him.

The teacher told the tribunal his behaviour was out of character. He has no criminal or disciplinary history.

“His daughter had been engaging in challenging behaviours of a sexual nature, which placed considerable stress and pressure on the respondent’s family and personal life,” the decision said.

Both the teacher and his wife had sought help for their daughter. On the night of the assault, the father became aware of a further incident and when talking to the teen, her response was to shrug. It was then that the assault occurred.

As part of the diversion scheme, the teacher undertook counselling, a 20-week course on non-violence and a restorative justice conference with his daughter.

The senior leadership team and board of trustees of the school where he worked fully supported him.

“Physical and threatened violence of this kind obviously reflects adversely on fitness to be a teacher,” tribunal deputy chair Sam Wimsett wrote in his decision.

“The violence was against his daughter, who was a similar age to those students that he teaches. The violence itself raises concerns about his ability to moderate his emotions if faced with a stressful situation in the context of being a teacher.”

The charge of serious misconduct was proven, with the tribunal ruling the misconduct was of “moderate” severity and accepted it was a one-off.

The teacher was censured and the tribunal ordered he must inform any future teaching employer of the proceedings for the following 12 months.

- Ethan Griffiths, Open Justice