A Senior Maths Teacher’s Fabricated War Stories Lead to Professional Ban
A senior maths teacher has been permanently banned from the profession after fabricating a series of elaborate and disturbing war stories to her students. The case highlights the serious consequences of misrepresenting one’s professional background and engaging in inappropriate behavior with pupils.
Alexandra Slay, who served as Head of Year at Epsom and Ewell High School, claimed to have been part of the Australian Army and frequently told students about her supposed trips to war zones. Her fabricated tales included messages from an imaginary soldier named Lieutenant Danny Blackburn, who supposedly reported on her injuries during these so-called deployments. These stories were not only false but also emotionally manipulative, leaving many students deeply affected.
One particularly disturbing aspect of Slay’s behavior was the creation of a “worst-case scenario” letter for her students. In this letter, she claimed that if she died, they should know she was “doing a brave thing.” She even wrote a handwritten note to a student that read: “If I am gone in person … know that I was doing a brave thing and I will look down from heaven and smile when you succeed and cry when you fall short.”
The letter, dated January 2022, continued with statements like: “Carry on each day and know that out of this cruel world, I was able to have this chance to mentor you. You, out of the 7.753 billion people in this world.” Such language was clearly intended to create a sense of emotional dependency between Slay and her students.
In April 2022, Slay began sending emotionally charged messages to another pupil, claiming to be mentoring them through “personal diary entries.” When the student attempted to distance themselves, Slay responded by saying, “I needed you to realise that teachers are not a punching bag, your actions have an impact on us.”
By May 2023, Slay had begun sending emails to a pupil about her “upcoming trip to a war zone,” accompanied by handwritten notes about her “deployment.” In July 2023, she sent a text message to a pupil stating, “Got told I am flying out Monday arvo(sic) now instead so this week is now going to be Monday – Wednesday Evening or Thursday super early in the morning.” Two days later, she messaged again, claiming, “Hey, just letting you know I have arrived and reached base.”
Texts from a phone number associated with “Lieutenant Danny Blackburn” then claimed that Slay had been seriously injured during her “trip.” One message stated: “Under the advice of my chief and back-up plan from Cpt. Slay, I am giving update on Cpt. Slay’s condition… Earlier in the day, Cpt. Slay and several others have been severely wounded. Cpt. Slay sustained two rounds to her abdomen and lost severe amounts of blood…”
Further messages described worsening conditions, including a cardiac arrest and unstable vitals. Another message said, “Cpt. Slay left this message for me to pass on to you. ‘If things turn for the worst. Please be proud and know that I have tried by best.’”
These fabricated messages were eventually discovered when texts and emails were found on a pupil’s phone. Slay resigned three months later. When questioned about the emails, one pupil reportedly said, “Yes, Miss Slay is actually in the Australian army, this is from when she was away.”
Later, Slay admitted that all the messages were “fabricated” and “a lie.” She explained that she had created the stories to feel like she belonged and was part of the world. She also admitted to using codenames to discuss school staff with students.
It was revealed that Slay had engaged in over 2,500 email communications with one pupil, 1,175 with another, and 645 with a third. The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) tribunal, which Slay did not attend, concluded that her actions constituted unacceptable professional conduct.
Shabana Robertson, chairing the hearing, stated, “Miss Slay’s actions were deliberate. There was no evidence to suggest that Miss Slay was acting under extreme duress, e.g. a physical threat or significant intimidation.”
Although Slay has been banned from teaching indefinitely, she may apply to have the order removed in two years. This case serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of honesty and professionalism in the education sector.
