Tactile teacher barred from profession for touching boy’s groin

A ‘tactile’ teacher who admitted he would place his hand on the knees of pupils has been barred from the profession for touching a boy’s groin. Brendan O’Brien, 47, was cleared of criminal charges following accusations by five male pupils at a primary school in west Yorkshire between 2011 and 2014. He was found not guilty of 17 counts of sexual assault and one count of inciting a child into sexual activity following a trial at Leeds Crown Court in…