Marlborough College physics teacher hangs himself at family home after sack for inappropriate behaviour on exchange trip to Malaysia
A physics teacher at Marlborough College hanged himself after being dismissed for ‘inappropriate behaviour’ during an exchange trip to Malaysia, the Daily Mail has revealed.
John Wright taught for a decade at the £60,000-a-year school, one of the country’s most prestigious independent schools, whose former students include Kate Middleton.
It is understood Mr Wright was sacked following allegations that his behavior during a spring half-term trip was inappropriate.
The 54-year-old man was found by his distraught wife Rachel at his family home in the early evening of November 3, having apparently taken his own life.
The inquest into his death was opened at Wiltshire Coroner’s Court last week and it was stated that the cause of death was asphyxiation as a result of the neck structures being compressed by a ligature.
The investigation was postponed to a later date.
It is understood Mr Wright’s grieving family was unhappy with his disciplinary experience.
A source close to the family said: ‘The treatment of John was outrageous.’
John Wright worked as a physics teacher at Malborough College for ten years. He committed suicide on November 3 after being dismissed by the university following an investigation into his conduct
Marlborough College, where fees are around £60,000 per year, is one of the country’s most prestigious independent schools, with Kate Middleton among its former students.
Mr Wright was sacked following a 17-day annual exchange trip to the university’s sister school in the Far East, Marlborough College Malaysia, involving 29 students from the Wiltshire school.
He was sacked in the summer following an internal investigation and disciplinary hearing into what happened on the trip to Malaysia.
This came after several allegations regarding his behavior during the trip were proven against him.
This finding was later upheld after Mr Wright did not appeal the conclusion.
Mr Wright lived with his wife and two children just a ten-minute walk from the college, which is the UK’s largest co-educational boarding school, attended by around 1,000 local and international students.
A source told The Daily Mail: ‘It’s not entirely clear to us why John was sacked, but it really hit him hard. We’ve heard it’s caused by inappropriate comments, but I’m told most of them are harmless.
The Princess of Wales attended the school for four years from 1996 to 2000
‘This is all part of the tighter safeguarding regime at Marlborough and staff are genuinely concerned about their careers and there is a sense of distrust and fear among them. ‘They were horrified by what happened because John was an outstanding physics teacher.’
The source added: ‘Speculation is that Prince George will come to Marlborough and that the College hierarchy are concerned about the damage John’s death might do to the college’s reputation.’
Marlborough College declined to comment.
A Wiltshire Police spokesman described the incident as a ‘sudden death’ with no suspicious circumstances.
Officers reportedly remained on scene at Mr Wright’s home for several hours but left around midnight.
Mr Wright’s wife is also believed to work as a teacher and, according to social media, the couple lived in New Zealand before returning to the UK around a decade ago.
In February, Mr Wright was one of a group of teachers to accompany students on what is known as the Shell exchange programme, which allows them to experience life at Marlborough College in Malaysia, which was founded in 2012 as a branch of the UK’s Marlborough College.
Extensive details of the trip were apparently published on the school’s website in March, before the allegations against Mr Wright emerged.
Photos posted on the university’s website show students attending various events while in Malaysia and visiting nearby Singapore.
Here the school party visited attractions such as historic Fort Canning, the observation deck of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, and the two ecological domes at Gardens by the Bay.
Trip leader Harriet Cox wrote that the Marlborough group ‘stepped out of their comfort zones by trying unusual foods, engaging with local traditions or participating in outdoor adventures’.
The Duchess of Wales plays hockey at school with sister Pippa Middleton (left)
Marlborough has six boys’ houses, six girls’ houses and four mixed houses
He continued: ‘Along the way they formed meaningful friendships and gained new perspectives on the world. These unforgettable memories and experiences will undoubtedly stay with them for many years to come.’
But there is no mention of Mr. Wright on the school’s web pages.
The Princess of Wales attended Marlborough College between 1996 and 2000 and then studied at the University of St Andrews, where she met and fell in love with Prince William.
There has long been speculation that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Princess Louise were also in line to attend their mother’s alma mater.
The college is located in the heart of the historic market town of Marlborough and charges annual fees of close to £60,000.
– For confidential support call Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details
