A politics teacher at an Oxfordshire sixth-form college was reported to the Government’s Prevent counter-terrorism programme after screening Donald Trump videos, including inauguration footage, to his A-level students.
The lecturer, who is in his 50s, was effectively compelled to leave his £44,000-a-year position at Henley College following the referral, ultimately accepting a £2,000 settlement.
“They likened me to a terrorist. It was completely jarring. It’s dystopian, like something from a George Orwell novel,” the teacher told The Telegraph.
The sixth-form college in Henley-on-Thames with over 2,000 pupils, reported him to local child safeguarding authorities in January 2025 after two students lodged complaints.
Officials subsequently determined that a Prevent referral should be treated as a “priority”, and the teacher faced accusations of inflicting “emotional harm” on students aged 17 and 18.
Local child protection officials suggested the video screenings could potentially constitute a “hate crime”, according to documents reviewed by The Telegraph.
A report dated May 22 said that the lecturer’s views “could be perceived as radical” and recommended the college proceed with a Prevent referral.
The document also expressed concern that “this behaviour could cause harm to a child” and that “his promoting of views could be radicalisation”.
The teacher, who first qualified in the mid-1990s, described feeling “completely insulted at the suggestion I was a danger to children” and said the ordeal affected both his mental and physical health, requiring him to seek counselling.
Among the footage shown was Mr Trump’s inauguration and five campaign-related videos.
One clip was a music video called Daddy’s Home featuring comedian Roseanne Barr and Canadian performer Tom MacDonald, which has attracted 7.8 million YouTube views and was actually recommended by one of his pupils.
The lecturer maintains he presented balanced content, including Kamala Harris videos, as part of lessons on politics and propaganda following the President’s election victory.
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“We were discussing the US election, Trump had just won and I showed a couple of videos from the Trump campaign. Next thing, I was accused of bias,” he said.
“One of the students said they were emotionally disturbed and claimed to have had nightmares.”
The teacher believes he was targeted after taking over the politics class in September 2024, having previously taught business studies at the college where his work received praise.
The teacher, a practising Catholic and Republican supporter who insists his views are mainstream, denied being a far-right extremist when asked.
The Free Speech Union, which provided legal assistance to the teacher, condemned the handling of his case.
The organisation argued that safeguarding laws designed to protect children from serious criminals were being misused against individuals holding unfashionable political opinions.
Lord Young, the FSU’s director and a Conservative peer, said: “The United States is our closest ally and Donald Trump is its democratically elected leader.
“Showing one of his election adverts to a class of politics students, particularly alongside one of Kamala Harris’s, does not make you a risk to children.”
He described it as “a clear-cut case of safeguarding protocols being weaponised to silence someone for political reasons.”
Henley College said that it “does not comment on individual allegations or ongoing investigations”.
The Oxfordshire sixth-form added: “We are committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of all our students and staff, and follow statutory safeguarding procedures in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025.
“Allegations are handled with due care, in accordance with statutory guidance, with appropriate support provided to all involved.”
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