He was outside at lunchtime when he tied child A, then 11, to a basketball hoop goalpost using the strings of the child’s jersey.
On another occasion, he grabbed the same child by the neck and dragged him backwards across the quad for several steps. The child could be heard on CCTV footage saying “Mike Mike stop stop”.
Buckley said he was trying to stop the child from walking through the gate while other students were passing through.
Several days after that, Buckley sat down on the boy’s back as if trying to ride him with his legs on either side of the child, who was on his hands and knees.
Buckley’s feet were on the ground but he was putting pressure on the child’s back, who later complained of a sore back.
He later said he was trying to encourage child A in physical play to improve his strength, co-ordination and spatial awareness.
The same day, Buckley saw child C, who was 7, playing on a teacher’s swivel chair. He grabbed the child by the right arm and yanked him upwards, and the child was seen rubbing his arm afterwards.
Buckley said he was busy and frustrated at the time and did not handle the situation well, and was ashamed.
Earlier the same month, Buckley also tried to pick up 9-year-old child B by his underwear when the class was doing bear crawls, giving him a wedgie. This child was a cancer survivor with a significant intellectual disability, limited verbal ability and was physically frail.
Buckley was also seen tickling some of the children and grabbing them by the ears.
Staff members saw what happened and reported it to school leaders in August, who opened an investigation and a report was sent to the Teaching Council by September 1.
Buckley was stood down, and Police and Oranga Tamariki notified.
In explanation, Buckley said his intentions were good and he never wished to hurt anyone. The incidents were “boyish horseplay” and “playful interactions”, he told the Teaching Council’s complaints assessment committee.
“I got it very wrong and I can see that clearly now,” he said, admitting his actions were unprofessional and made others uncomfortable.
The Council said his behaviour was particularly concerning given the children’s young ages and special needs.
Buckley was not using force to correct or punish students for the most part, it said, but teachers were widely expected not to engage in conduct that risks hurting a student’s physical and emotional well-being.
The Council also noted mitigating factors - Buckley admitted his serious misconduct early, co-operated with the disciplinary process and had no previous history.
In its decision the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal said it was “flabbergasted” at the range and repetition of Buckley’s conduct.
“The Tribunal regards the type of horseplay engaged in by the respondent in this case as inexcusable,” it said, censuring Buckley and cancelling his teacher’s registration.
Buckley resigned from the school in October 2020 and had said he did not intend to return to teaching.
