Teacher who allegedly 'waved fake penis at colleagues through zip' faces hearing over conduct

A teacher who allegedly waved a fake penis at colleagues through the zip of his trousers and told a pupil “his dad did not care about him” faces being struck off over his conduct.

Colleagues accused Derek Turkington of manoeuvering the prosthesis – used to show pupils how to properly put on a condom – in a “suggestive and provocative” manner in a staff area at Newbattle High School in 2017.

The guidance teacher is also accused “mimicking a penis” by placing at least one of his fingers out the front of his fly while employed at the Midlothian institution.

Turkington gave evidence to a General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) panel during a three-day hearing this week.

The council will determine whether he remains fit to teach, but could remove him from the register if unsatisfied with the outcome.

Turkington is alleged to have asked a colleague “Can you please tell him that his dad clearly doesn’t care about him and that he needs to move on and get a grip”, or “words to that effect,” while in the presence of a child known only as ‘Pupil A’ after screaming at him in January 2018.

He is also accused of “placing a prosthetic penis down his trousers and through the zip and making suggestive and provocative movements towards other colleagues” and “placing his finger, or fingers, through the zip of his trousers in an attempt to mimic male genitalia” on “at least one occasion” between August 2017 and May 2018.

A third allegation surrounds Turkington causing “distress” to students in his care by “nailing a piece of wood over a door”.

He is accused of breaching sections 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 2.3, 4.1 and 4.2 of the GTCS code of professionalism and conduct.

A hearing into his behaviour was due to conclude on Thursday, June 16, after which a report into the panel’s decision will be issued.