By Abbie Wightwick

Copyright walesonline

A college lecturer grabbed a student by the wrist, described some of his students as “a bunch of tossers” and swore about his job, it is alleged. Arthur Rowland Thomas, a lecturer at Gower College, Swansea , later told a colleague he had “had enough” of the group and that they had no respect, a professional standards committee was told. Mr Thomas asked a student to put his phone away in the classroom and when he didn’t grabbed him by the wrist to try to remove it, a fitness to practise committee of independent regulator the Education Workforce Council Wales heard. The lecturer was not present or represented at the hearing pn September 16 but the committee was told that during disciplinary hearings at the college Mr Thomas said of the student: “he goaded me. He wouldn’t turn off his phone,” EWC legal adviser Eve Piffaretti said. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here . Mr Thomas taught the level two construction class of around 10 to 12 students aged 18 to 19 at the college’s Jubilee campus. After the alleged incident he claimed behavourial issues about the class had been raised with other members of staff, the hearing was told. Richard Sellick, a manager and lecturer in the built environment department where Mr Thomas taught told the commitee how the lecturer had come to his room opposite in an agitated state after the alleged incident. Richard Sellick told the panel: “He came into my office and was stressed and upset and agitated. He was clutching his chest and said “I can’t teach that group”. “I told him to sit down and I would go and speak to the group.” Mr Sellick said all students in the group had “some additional challenges”. When he went to speak to them some students claimed Mr Thomas had been “acting strange” and out of character. Asked what Thomas was like to work with Mr Sellick described him as a “good quality colleague” who was hard working and a good team player with whom he had never had any issues. Read more: ‘I left Australia for Swansea and there are 7 things I can’t work out’ Read more: Reason why a major roundabout is still underwater after flash flooding left cars floating Mr Thomas, who worked at the college from April 2016 to February 2024, faces the following allegations: As Mr Thomas chose not to attend the hearing or be represented the allegations were all taken as denied by the committee. But Hannah Pearce, Mr Thomas’s manager at the college, told the hearing that during disciplinary meetings after the alleged incident the lecturer had admitted grabbing a student by the wrist as well as shouting at students. She said the lecturer should have asked the student to leave the class if they refused to switch off their phone. Asked by the panel whether she also found the same class difficult when she taught them Ms Pearce replied: “Personally, no, I didn’t find the class challenging.” “He was remorseful and regretted what happened,” she added. But the panel was told that the class had been “antagonising” Mr Thomas and “deliberately not dong things the way he asked them to”. When told about the EWC hearing by the regulator Mr Thomas responded that he had no wish to take part and added: “I have always admitted to these allegatrions. I regret this incident happened and feel it tarnished my otherwise good career”, the panel was told. The hearing continues.