Teacher Is Sent Away For Having Too Many Tattoos

26-year-old mother-of-two, Charlotte Tumilty, had been offered the role at St John Vianney's Primary School in Hartlepool as part of her teacher training course.

She claimed she was sent home an hour after she turned up on her first day because of her very visible tattoos - and she insists she cannot cover up the tattoos in order to return to the school.

Tumilty says she was told the tattoos on her feet, hands and neck were unacceptable because the school is 'strict Catholic' and that they were 'inappropriate'.

Daily Mail reports that the school insists that Miss Tumilty, from Hartlepool, was only told to consider 'covering' up her tattoos so she could return to her placement later.

But she says she is unable to cover them all up and there are no other placements available at other schools.

She said: 'It ticks me off. They said I could maybe start later but I don't think it's going to get anywhere because you can still see bits of my tattoos.

'They prejudiced me because they could see a few tattoos.'

Miss Tumilty is currently on a level two teacher training course at Hartlepool College of Further Education and was due to work at the school twice a week for a year.

She has a 'full sleeve' of tattoos on her arms and legs, smaller inkings on her fingers, hands, back and chest and an eye emblem on her neck.

She said that when she went for an interview at the school to secure her placement, staff were able to see her tattoos, but she did promise to take out her piercings.

Miss Tumilty, who is mother to four-year-old RayGan and Willow, one, said: 'They said that would be perfect.'

She claims it then took a while for the school to confirm her placement and other students on her course had already started theirs when she rang to inquire about starting training

She went to the school on Monday, and spent around £25 on a new outfit, ensuring her arms were covered.

She explained: 'They showed me to the class I was working in.

'But a woman asked to speak to me in the office and said, "What we need to discuss is you can still see a bit of your neck tattoo peaking out of your top."

'I suggested wearing a higher-necked top. The woman said, "That's not the point, it's a strictly Catholic school and tattoos are forbidden".

'She said they do have teachers with tattoos, but they cover them up. I said "Yes, I have covered mine up", but the woman said, "To be honest, I don't think it's appropriate."

'She then suggested I might be able to uses plasters and bandages to cover them up. I'd look ridiculous.'

However, deputy headteacher Martin Boagey insists that Miss Tumilty was just 'politely asked' to cover up her tattoos.

He said: 'The school expects all members of staff to project a professional image and we have a code of conduct, part of which requires members of staff with tattoos to cover them up.

'We do have members of staff with tattoos, and they are happy to abide by the code of conduct.

'On her arrival at school to take up her placement, Charlotte Tumilty was informed of the school's code of conduct.

'She was politely asked to consider how best to cover up her tattoos and it was suggested that she should.

'At no point was she ever told that she could not work In the school.

'The school regularly offers placements to students to help them develop their careers, and to date dozens have been welcomed and supported.'

The further education college said it was down to individuals to arrange their placements and school guidelines should be followed, but it would support Charlotte as much as they could.

Many employers have strict policies on tattoos from complete bans on inkings to having them covered while in the workplace.