Former teacher who was jailed for fraud scores legal victory against the regulator

A conman who used fake documents so he could work as a teacher has scored a legal win in his fight against the Victorian Institute of Teaching.

Fraudster Julian Taylor has levelled up to 80 claims against the Victorian Institute of Teaching arising from its 2015 investigation

A convicted conman who falsified documents so he could work as a teacher in Victoria and South Australia has had a win at VCAT against the school’s regulator.

Former teacher Julian Taylor will have his claims of bias and incompetence against the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) tested by a tribunal.

Mr Taylor worked as a teacher at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar, Ilim College, Hamilton and Alexandra College and Traralgon College between 2005 and 2015. He served nearly three years in jail for fraud after he was found to have obscured his real identity in order to get his teacher’s registration.

The British national whose real name is Steven Barr, had previously been convicted of other dishonesty offences.

Julian Taylor falsified documents so he could work as a teacher.

His past came to light after the VIT received a tip-off from overseas about his real identity and criminal past.

Mr Taylor has since levelled up to 80 claims against the VIT arising from its 2015 investigation, accusing investigators of exhibiting bias and prejudice, denying him natural justice and the right of privacy.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal last week refused to strike out all claims made by Mr Taylor against the VIT, acknowledging they “raise issues that could potentially give rise to a claim”.

Mr Taylor claimed VIT investigators illegally shared his relationship and criminal history with his ex-partner.

Mr Taylor also accused the VIT of illegally obtaining a copy of the title of his South Australian house and mortgage documents, inquiring about his car registration, wrongly questioning his teaching credentials from Deakin University and sharing information about his immigration status.

Mr Taylor said the VIT officer was “either a complete and utter incompetent” or “deliberately misleading”.

The VIT was trying to have these claims raised by Mr Taylor struck out and sought costs.

But a number of the claims will now proceed to a directions hearing.

Mr Taylor said he was aiming to “prove that privacy principles have been breached then the material presented in my absence at the VIT hearing was inadmissible”.

“Clearly this would have corrupted and biased the panel against me,” he told the Herald Sun.

Mr Taylor is in Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation in Broadmeadows as he is no longer an Australian citizen.

A spokeswoman for the VIT said she cannot comment while the case is in progress.