A BNP activist who posted comments online describing immigrants as "savage animals" and "filth" while working as a teacher has been cleared of racism.
The General Teaching Council (GTC) had heard Adam Walker used a school laptop during lessons in County Durham to post the descriptions.
Mr Walker, from Spennymoor, said he had been singled out because of his views.
The GTC said it was "troubled" by some postings, but was not satisfied the views were "suggestive of intolerance".
'Dumping ground'
It found him guilty of a single charge of misconduct after he admitted using a laptop during lessons and imposed a conditional registration order upon him.
It means Mr Walker will remain on the teaching register and could apply for teaching posts, but the order requires Mr Walker to notify any prospective employer of its terms.
Mr Walker was the first teacher to appear before the GTC accused of racial intolerance.
It was alleged the views expressed in the postings constituted unacceptable professional conduct.
He resigned from Houghton Kepier Sports College, in Houghton-le-Spring, in 2007 after his head teacher asked IT staff to investigate his use of the internet.
The GTC panel, sitting in Birmingham, said it was "troubled" by some of the postings made by Mr Walker, who also claimed Britain was becoming a "dumping ground for the filth of the Third World".
But the three-member committee said it was not satisfied that the "intemperate" views expressed by Mr Walker during his time at the school were suggestive of intolerance.
Delivering the committee's verdict, its chairwoman, Angela Stones, said some of Mr Walker's postings contained offensive terms and demonstrated views or an attitude that might be considered racist.
However, Mrs Stones added: "The committee does not accept that references to 'immigrants' are of themselves suggestive of any particular views on race."
The hearing was told that in one posting, it was alleged Mr Walker claimed the BNP had risen in popularity because "they are the only party who are making a stand and are prepared to protect the rights of citizens against the savage animals New Labour and Bliar (sic) are filling our communities with".
'Hostile climate'
The teacher's trade union representative, Patrick Harrington, told the disciplinary hearing that Mr Walker did not accept his postings were racist, claiming that assumptions had been made about the teacher's views because of his membership of the BNP.
In a statement read to the hearing, Mr Walker stressed that he had not communicated his political thoughts and beliefs to staff or pupils at Houghton Kepier.
He said: "I have certainly never discriminated against an individual on grounds of race, faith or sexuality."
Commenting on the content of his postings, Mr Walker said he had been influenced by media coverage of a female Pc shot dead by two illegal immigrants and the murder of British hostage Ken Bigley in Iraq.
He said: "Looking back now, I feel that I was unduly influenced by the hostile climate the media created.
"This led me to express intemperate views which lacked complexity and balance.
"I have never condemned all immigrants or asylum seekers. My comments relate to those I perceive as coming to our country and committing criminal offences or otherwise behaving badly."
'Outrageously persecuted'
Anti-fascist and pro-BNP demonstrators had gathered outside the GTC's offices in Birmingham city centre.
BNP leader Nick Griffin was among those present. He claimed Mr Walker had been "outrageously persecuted" for his political beliefs.
He said: "The charges about supposed racism, racial intolerance, and so on, have been thrown out.
"The committee have upheld the right of Adam Walker and every other teacher in the country to criticise Government policy in no uncertain terms."
Asked about calls from some quarters for BNP members to be banned from teaching, Mr Griffin replied: "Teachers obviously have to keep politics out of the classroom.
"As long as they do that they should be entitled to hold whatever political views they want."
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