A public school teacher accused of making a joke on a school trip was later sacked and killed himself, the Daily Mail can reveal.
John Wright, 54, taught physics for a decade at £60,000-a-year Marlborough College.
It is one of the most prestigious independent schools in the country and counts the Princess of Wales among its former pupils.
Mr Wright was sacked over the summer following ‘inappropriate’ comments he allegedly made during an exchange trip to Malaysia and Singapore that were viewed as racist and homophobic.
Now we can reveal that one of the remarks allegedly said by Mr Wright to a pupil which led to his dismissal was: ‘No gum, no gays.’
He apparently made the off-hand comment as his group got off at a metro stop in Singapore.
He was believed to have been joking about laws held by both countries the school was visiting on the 17-day trip. In Singapore chewing gum is banned while homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia.
A source with knowledge of the trip told the Daily Mail: ‘He said some other things, but none as bad as that. John was a lovely teacher and friend. He was known for making flippant comments and would often do that in front of pupils and senior teachers.
‘But he didn’t mean any offence, it was just him being cheeky and silly.’
Mr Wright was found by his wife Rachel, at the family home in Marlborough, Wiltshire, a 10-minute walk from the college, in the early evening of November 3, having apparently taken his own life.
An inquest opened last week at Wiltshire Coroner’s Court and gave the cause of death as asphyxiation with compression of the neck structures by a ligature. The inquest was adjourned.
Marlborough College officials have insisted that Mr Wright was sacked for serious ‘inappropriate conduct’ which led to an internal disciplinary hearing.
But the emergence of new details around his dismissal have further enraged his devastated family who claim that he was harshly treated by the college over what they insist were ‘innocuous comments’.
They say Mr Wright was suspended without warning, despite having a spotless employment record.
They say that the family have not been given any information on how the internal investigation was conducted or the exact nature of comments made by him.
They also say the college failed to listen to other teachers on the trip who defended Mr Wright and praised his conduct.
A source close to the family said: ‘The way John was treated was outrageous. These were not offensive comments. Perhaps you could say they were inappropriate, but they shouldn’t have led to his sacking.
‘We would want the inquest to focus on the college’s conduct that led to his state of mind that drove him to suicide. The school needs to examine its safeguarding and disciplinary process.’
The source added: ‘This is all part of a stricter safeguarding regime at Marlborough and staff are genuinely concerned about their careers and there is a sense of mistrust and fear among them.
‘They are horrified at what’s happened because John was an outstanding physics teacher.’
Sources at the college insist that a number of allegations against Mr Wright were substantiated and that he was found to have made discriminatory comments, some of which were directed at pupils. They insist that he was sacked following a thorough disciplinary process.
However, a close friend and former colleague of Mr Wright’s claimed there is a ‘culture of fear’ at the prestigious college with staff fearful of disciplinary proceedings because of allegations by pupils, most of whom come from wealthy backgrounds.
The friend, who did not want to be named said: ‘The pupils are incredibly entitled and believe they have the right to make accusations against you if you challenge them.
‘The parents always back them. They are paying a lot of money, they are usually powerful people, and the college can’t afford to alienate them. As a teacher you are at the whim of every child at Marlborough and if you cross them that could be the end of your job.’
It is believed the allegations of homophobic and racist remarks against Mr Wright were made by some of the 29 pupils on the exchange trip.
Marlborough is the UK’s largest co-educational boarding school attended by around 1,000 domestic and international pupils.
Mr Wright was one of a group of teachers to accompany pupils on what is known as the Shell exchange programme in which they get to experience life at Malaysia’s Marlborough College, which was established in 2012 as an offshoot of the UK school.
Photos on the college website show pupils taking part in a range of activities while in Malaysia and Singapore. There is no mention of Mr Wright.
The school said it offered ‘its heartfelt condolences to John Wright’s family. Our thoughts are with them, as well as John’s friends and others in the Marlborough community who will have been affected. It would be inappropriate to comment further.’
The Princess of Wales boarded at Marlborough College between 1996 and 2000.
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