NUT helps teacher in race slur victory

English teacher Chris Hassan, suspended in January for refusing to teach a 12 year-old pupil who called him a "black maggot", has been reinstated with the help of his union, the National Union of Teachers (NUT).

Hassan, who teaches at Hull's Kingswood School, agreed to return to work as the boy will now be taught in another class. The boy had been suspended for three days by the headteacher who then told Hassan to readmit the boy to his class. But Hassan refused because he had not been consulted about whether to continue to teach the pupil. Pupils organised a petition in his support and demonstrated at the school gates.

Hassan said: "I would like to thank my colleagues and the National Union of Teachers for their support, but I must express my special thanks to the pupils and parents whose comments and actions have particularly touched me during my long suspension."

Headteacher Kevin Beaton said that such incidents were "extremely rare" at Kingswood School. But he added: "The fact that hundreds of pupils have now publicly stated that they will not tolerate racism in their school is extremely positive and encouraging for the future."