A former mathematics teacher has received a ban from teaching for a minimum of five years due to possession of numerous stolen bank card details and online banking logins.
Louis Ssekabira admitted to a professional misconduct panel that he was “planning to commit fraud” after a police raid on his home in 2020 uncovered a digital hoard of stolen financial information.
The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel ruled that his actions fundamentally undermined the trust required of a role model for young people.
The Allegations and Findings
The investigation revealed that while employed at Droitwich Spa High School in Worcestershire, Mr Ssekabira possessed:
- 262 sets of bank card details.
- 69 logins for online banking in other people’s names.
These details were discovered across a laptop and two separate iPhones. In June 2021, while working at Bishop Challoner Catholic Federation of Schools in London, he accepted a police caution for the possession of articles used to commit fraud, contrary to Section 6 of the Fraud Act 2006.
Mr Ssekabira did not disclose this caution to his new employer. The school only became aware of his criminal history when a police officer contacted them directly.
A “Dishonest” Defence
During the hearing, it was revealed that Mr Ssekabira initially attempted to mislead his colleagues. He claimed he had purchased a laptop from Gumtree and discovered the details already on it, telling staff he became “excited” by the find but did not act on it.
However, the panel dismissed this version of events, noting that the stolen data was found on multiple personal devices, not just one laptop.
While the panel received several “glowing” statements regarding Mr Ssekabira’s teaching skills, with some crediting him for helping his department achieve a “Good with Outstanding features” rating, the severity of his dishonesty outweighed his professional successes.
“Dishonesty of this severity is not compatible with acting as a role model to pupils,” the panel stated. “The conduct of Mr Ssekabira amounted to misconduct of a serious nature which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.”
The Sanction
Mr Ssekabira has now been prohibited from teaching indefinitely. Therefore, he cannot apply for the restoration of his eligibility to teach for five years.
The TRA noted that while he may have the potential to contribute to the profession in the future, his lack of transparency with his employer remained a significant concern.
Abuse of Power in Educational Settings
Educational institutions should be sanctuaries, safe, nurturing environments where children and young people are empowered to learn, grow, and build healthy relationships.
However, when those in positions of authority misuse their power, the consequences can be devastating and life-altering.
What Constitutes an Abuse of Power?
An abuse of power occurs when staff members—including teachers, coaches, or administrators—exploit their professional authority over a student. This can manifest in several ways:
- Emotional & Psychological Misconduct: Constant belittling, unfair criticism, isolation, or the use of intimidation to control a student.
- Grooming & Inappropriate Relationships: Manipulating a student to establish an emotional or physical connection that violates professional boundaries.
- Exclusionary Tactics: Controlling or withholding educational opportunities as a form of punishment or manipulation.
- Excessive Demands: Placing unreasonable pressure on a student that hinders their mental health and developmental progress.
The Long-Term Impact
As children spend the majority of their formative years in education, negative experiences within the school system often leave deep scars.
These traumas frequently follow survivors into adulthood, affecting their mental health, career prospects, and ability to form future relationships.
While modern safeguarding checks and increased public awareness have improved school safety, abuse is not a relic of the past. It remains a contemporary issue.
Despite stricter regulations, many survivors, whether their experiences occurred recently or decades ago at school, college, or university, have yet to come forward.
Seeking Justice and Support
Schools have a legal duty of care to protect students through robust safeguarding policies, staff training, and transparent reporting channels. When these systems fail, survivors have the right to seek accountability.
Reports can be made through:
- Formal School Complaints and Internal Safeguarding Leads.
- External Bodies such as the NSPCC or Local Education Authorities (LEA).
- Legal Professionals specialising in abuse claims to explore pathways for redress and support.
Frequently asked questions:
Protecting Yourself from Financial Fraud
The Ssekabira case highlights the sophisticated nature of modern financial crime. It is essential to remain vigilant to ensure your personal data remains secure.
Warning Signs of a Scam
Fraud can often appear genuine. You should be suspicious if:
- Too good to be true: An offer is significantly cheaper than market value.
- Unexpected contact: You receive a call, text, or email from someone you don’t know.
- High pressure: You are urged to decide on payment immediately.
- Hidden details: The company lacks clear contact information or a physical address.
- Requests for info: You are asked for private passwords or PINs.
Can You Recover Lost Funds?
If you have fallen victim to a scam, you may be able to recover your money from the financial institution that failed to prevent the fraud.
While you can attempt this process alone, seeking expert legal advice can simplify the process and increase your chances of success.
Oakwood Solicitors specialises in financial mis-selling and bank fraud claims. With over 20 years of experience, their dedicated team understands the regulatory frameworks required to hold banks accountable and recover stolen funds.
Can I get my money back from a fraud or scam?
There are options available to recover your money. Recovery of the money can be sought from the financial institution that should have prevented the fraud.
In some instances, there may also be other regulated firms involved who could have detected the fraud and issued a warning.
You can attempt to recover the funds yourself without a legal representative; however, there are benefits to having instructed Oakwood Solicitors to do this for you. We are a regulated firm of Solicitors, with over 20 years’ experience in financial mis-selling claims.
By using a solicitor who is a specialist in financial mis-selling claims. We aim to take the hassle out of the claims process as we do all the hard work for you.
Why choose Oakwood Solicitors?
Oakwood Solicitors has a dedicated department of specialist lawyers who have knowledge and experience of bank fraud and scams.
As the scams become increasingly more sophisticated and the fraudsters become harder to detect, it is important to have the right people on your side to ensure that you have the best chance of recovering your money.
Oakwood Solicitors are experts. They understand the legal and regulatory frameworks surrounding bank fraud and scams.
We will offer you advice, guidance and support in using all the legal and regulatory framework to maximise your chances of successfully recovering your money and doing so in the most time-efficient way.
We take the hassle out of the claims process as we do all the hard work for you. You will be allocated your own experienced claims handler who will keep you fully informed throughout the process.
Further information:
Abuse in Schools and Education.
Have you lost money because of a bank fraud or scam?
Fraud Solicitors UK – Get Your Money Back from Scammers.
Mr Louis Kisitu Ssekabira: Professional conduct panel meeting outcome.
Maths teacher caught with hundreds of stolen bank card details banned from the classroom.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
If you have been scammed as a result of abuse of power and trust, get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.
Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page, or call us on 0113 323 2620 to find out how we can help you.
Danielle Lightfoot is a Director and our Head of the Financial Litigation Department. Danielle joined the firm as a Paralegal in 2011 and qualified as a solicitor in October 2014. She has acquired ext…
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