A teacher at a secondary school near Sunderland who contributed on an extreme right-wing website during a lesson could be struck off.
Adam Walker, 39, a British National Party member, may become the first person to be banned by the General Teaching Council for religious intolerance. While children worked on a project during a lesson at Houghton Kepier Sports College in Houghton-le-Spring, Mr Walker posted critical comments about asylum seekers, Islam, immigrants and “the promotion of homosexuality” on a chat forum.
His brother Mark Walker, a fellow BNP member and also a technology teacher, was suspended by Sunnydale Community College in Co Durham for accessing the BNP website during school hours.
Adam Walker, a former soldier and karate expert, admitted contributing to the forum during work-time and left his post last year.
He now faces a GTC disciplinary hearing, which could ban him from teaching, for demonstrating “views suggestive of racial and religious intolerance”.
His case is being fought by the trade union Solidarity, which is closely linked to the BNP and of which Adam Walker is president.
Its general secretary Patrick Harrington said Mr Walker admitted he was wrong to use his laptop to contribute to the forum during work time.
Mr Harrington added: “That was a contractual matter between him and his employer. When he resigned, that should have been the end of the matter.
“We feel this raises human rights issues. He has a right, like every other citizen, to freedom of expression and association. He criticised Islam in his posting, but people criticise religions all the time.”