A teacher has been accused of sending inappropriate messages of a sexual nature to a pupil with additional support needs at a city school.
The teacher, who has not yet been named, is facing a fitness to teach hearing next week before a General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) panel.
He has been charged by the GTCS with carrying out conversations both face to face, through text messaging and via WhatsApp with the child – known as pupil A – between 2014 and August 2016.
On one occasion it is alleged that the teacher texted the pupil, suggesting he get a tattoo on his genitals.
It is claimed that the teacher texted the youngster to ask if he used the internet dating service Tinder, asking if the pupil was going to meet a girl from the website, and “generally encouraging pupil A to be promiscuous”.
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The teacher is also alleged to have referred to sex acts when communicating with the pupil at the school which has not been identified.
As well as inappropriate sexual messages, the teacher is also accused of making unacceptable comments about the child’s family.
The GTCS report alleged that the teacher made “inappropriate comments about pupil A’s family, and attempt to influence the decision-making of pupil A, specifically a text where the teacher encourages pupil A not to go home, and expressing his surprise and disappointment when pupil A did choose to go home.”
The teaching watchdog also alleged that further text messages showed a “lack of respect for family or parental involvement in pupil A’s life”.
The report included excerpts from conversations claimed to be between the teacher and the pupil, including one where the teacher was accused of saying “I was really surprised to find your parents still there with you”, and texting him “Good luck at home”, and “I don’t remember you ever going home and that being straightforward.”
He is also accused of instructing the pupil to keep the conversations between them a secret.
The hearing is scheduled to take place from Monday to Friday next week.
