English supply teacher who embraced pupils and let them sit on his lap struck off

A supply teacher who inappropriately embraced pupils and let them sit on his lap has been struck off.

The man was teaching at a secondary school in a role as a supply English teacher in June 2019 when the incidents took place.

At a General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) hearing, it was found that the teacher, who sang in the school choir, touched a former pupil on the leg and allowed her to place her head on his body during a school show rehearsal.

He also let her sit on his knee while they were both in a staff room.

While working with the pupils, the panel found that he repeatedly allowed female pupils and former pupils to sit on his lap and also embraced pupils and former pupils on several occasions.

A former colleague told the hearing she was “horrified” to see a pupil on his knee and that the teacher had “jumped up like a startled rabbit” when he noticed her looking at him.

The panel ruled that his conduct made him unfit for the classroom and he was struck from the register.

He did not take part in the disciplinary proceedings but did make comments in an email to the GTCS.

The former teacher said he had “no specifically detailed memories” of his conduct.

He admitted allowing a former pupil to sit on his lap but insisted it had been “taken out of context”.

The former pupil told the panel she was “not concerned” by his actions at the time.

In a written ruling, the GTCS panel said: “In the panel’s view, the teacher’s actions are not remediable, have not been remedied, and there is a risk of recurrence were the teacher to return to teaching.

“In consideration of all the evidence there is a pattern of behaviour and a lack of insight. In the panel’s view the mitigations offered were just as inappropriate as the allegations found proved.”

The teacher will be allowed to make an application to re-register as a teacher following a two-year period.

The ruling did not identify the man or the area where the conduct took place.