KKK teacher's crimes not covered under law

CANBERRA, Australia, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- A new Australian law imposing lifetime bans on teachers convicted of certain offenses does not apply to a Ku Klux Klan member who helped dispose of a body.

The legislation, which took effect Monday, imposes lifetime classroom bans on teachers convicted of offenses including possession of an objectionable film, burglary and supplying dangerous drugs, the Brisbane Courier-Mail reported Tuesday.

However, the law does not apply to a charge of accessory after the fact to murder, which KKK member and former high school teacher Frederick MacNeil pleaded guilty to after admitting he helped a student dispose of a body.

MacNeil was banned from teaching for the maximum five years and could reapply for his registration in 2016 since his crime is not on the list covered by the law, the Courier-Mail said.

However, Queensland College of Teachers director John Ryan said MacNeil would be unlikely to receive registration due to the severity of his crime.