Haverstock School condemns former teacher for Margaret Thatcher ‘death party’ in Brixton
Haverstock School headteacher John Dowd has condemned a former teacher for allegedly organising a Margaret Thatcher 'death party'. Picture: Polly Hancock - Credit: Archant
A school has distanced itself from a teacher vilified by a national newspaper for allegedly organising a Margaret Thatcher “death party”.
Haverstock School’s headteacher issued a statement condemning special needs teacher Craig Parr and saying he has not worked at the school, in Haverstock Hill, Chalk Farm, since February.
Mr Parr, 27, was accused of organising a party to celebrate the former prime minister’s demise in Brixton on the front page of today’s Daily Mail.
The newspaper described his behaviour as “disgraceful” alongside a picture of him holding up a banner that read: “Rejoice – Thatcher is dead.”
Haverstock headteacher John Dowd said: “Craig Parr was employed from September 2012 as a teacher of special educational needs on a one year fixed-term contract.
You may also want to watch:
“He resigned his post in February 2013 due to concerns that I raised with him about his conduct and he has not attended school since that time.
“His views and actions are his alone, but I would condemn this action in the strongest possible terms.
Most Read
- 1 Keepers read bedtime 'tails' from London Zoo during closure
- 2 Jeremy Corbyn launches Peace and Justice Project with calls to action
- 3 O2 Centre: developer Landsec 'looking to re-provide' Sainsbury's
- 4 Arsenal boss Arteta worried about player burnout
- 5 Crouch End Vampires help feed homeless with soup kitchen fundraiser
- 6 Is lockdown working in north London? Here's what the latest data tells us
- 7 Arsenal column: Granit Xhaka the stand out performer since Boxing Day but some of his senior professionals continue to disappoint
- 8 Lord's Cricket Ground used as Covid-19 vaccination centre
- 9 Rebuilt Carlton Tavern will be 'heart of the community' say hopeful landlords
- 10 West Hampstead restaurant cooks for NHS carers
“Our approach to the teaching of politics and indeed to developing an objective understanding of the range of political positions, doctrines and views are fundamental to our ethos.
“Margaret Thatcher’s death has clearly led to a polarisation of views about her role as prime minister.
“As a school community we would offer her our respect and offer our condolences to her family, as we would for any of our families suffering bereavement.”
The Ham&High has contacted Mr Parr but has not yet received any comment from him.
Haverstock has gained national recognition because a number of senior Labour politicians are former pupils.
In the 1970s and 1980s both Labour leader Ed Miliband and his brother David Miliband attended the school and former Labour MP Oona King was also a pupil.
David Miliband has also been a guest teacher of politics at the school since he took a step back from frontline politics after narrowly losing the Labour leadership race to his brother Ed in September 2010.