Lawrence Foley went from school refuser to doctor in modernist literature – but his career almost came to a crashing halt after a vicious online campaign
Foley was sitting in a park with his wife Sonia when his phone rang. It was the Metropolitan Police. A social media campaign, accusing Foley of being a racist for excluding three children – one of whom had punched a teacher – was spiralling. It had reached the inbox of ministers. The officer told Foley death threats against him meant they were putting a marker on his phone. If he called 999, armed police would be dispatched immediately – for his own safety.
His wife asked if it was “time to call a day” on the profession he loved. Several sleepless nights later, Foley (luckily) decided to stick it out.
Now chief executive of the 10-school Future Academies trust, Foley tells his story in the week a government review found a breakdown in social cohesion is increasingly putting the safety of school staff at risk.
