Teacher struck off over sexual relationship with ex-pupil

A secondary school biology teacher has been struck off after a hearing found he had had a sexual relationship with a former pupil.

Callum Scott was employed by Dumfries and Galloway Council at the time.

A General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) panel concluded a string of allegations against him between 2017 and 2020 were proven - including that he saved explicit photographs of the ex-pupil and threatened to send them to others.

It found his conduct had been "sexually motivated" and agreed his name should be removed from the teaching register. He can appeal against the decision within 28 days.

The written findings follow a five-day hearing held online in July this year which Scott did not attend.

It heard from one witness who said he had known Scott for a "matter of months" when he became aware of an alleged inappropriate message sent via Snapchat to an S6 pupil who had just left the school saying "FFS I'd be all over you if I was drunk".

A second allegation then surfaced.

"It was becoming clear that it was bigger than just a social media post," the witness told the hearing.

"It was becoming clear that there had been an inappropriate relationship that Mr Scott had had with a young person."

Another witness described seeing a series of messages which were "inappropriate to send to an ex-pupil".

She said an ex-student, named only as pupil A, had contacted the school to say Scott had sent her "personal and private messages" which had ultimately led to a sexual relationship.

"I was shocked at the allegations," the witness told the hearing.

"I believe it was inappropriate between a professional in a position of trust and a pupil, albeit an ex-pupil."

Pupil A told the hearing that they had started messaging after she turned 18 and began to meet up after she left school.

She said that after five or six meetings their relationship had become sexual.

However, he became "angry and manipulative" when she began speaking to boys and, after she ended the relationship, threatened to send private messages she had sent him to her boyfriend and her parents.

In May 2021 her parents contacted the police but she told the hearing they had decided not to take further action.

She said the experience caused her significant emotional harm, including trauma from the alleged manipulation, blackmail, deceit, and "mind games".

In its findings, the GTCS found the allegations proven that he had engaged in a sexual relationship with a former pupil and acted in a "controlling manner" towards her.

It also concluded he had engaged in "sexually motivated communications with pupils and ex-pupils via social media".

It said the behaviour had been aggravated by the fact that he had not engaged with the local authority or GTCS process.

The panel was of the view that the public would view Scott's behaviour as "fundamentally incompatible" with being a teacher and ordered he be removed from the register.

He cannot reapply for at least two years.