A north primary school teacher has admitted putting an art project video on YouTube which including cartoon characters urinating and committing sex acts, expletive-strewn messages including one telling parents to “teach your own kids”.
Adrian Eaton was sacked after the video was seen by parents and children and could now be struck off after his fitness to teach was found to be impaired.
Mr Eaton, who taught science, technology, music and art at several schools in the Inverness area, made the video for his degree at the Barnsley-based Open College of Arts (OCA).
The 52-year-old told a Generalt Teaching Council hearing this week that he put the video on YouTube intending for it to be seen only by his tutors but his lack of knowledge of social media meant the film was made public.
As well as losing his job with Highland Council, Mr Eaton was this week summoned before the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).
Speaking over a phone line to the hearing in Edinburgh, Mr Eaton admitted all the charges but insisted he is not unfit to teach.
In November 2015, he uploaded to his personal YouTube account, and mad publicly accessible on the internet, a video entitled “Treasures of Insomnia”.
His video contained “images and text that were explicitly sexual, violent or discriminatory and commented negatively on your work as a teacher”.
And despite being aware that parents and pupils had found the video “distressing, inappropriate and offensive”, Mr Eaton took more than three weeks to remove it from YouTube.
Mr Eaton told the hearing: “They weren’t intended for any other viewing other than me and my tutors. I deeply deeply regret uploading the video.”
Mr Eaton claimed the mistake happened because “I do not know how to use YouTube very well”.
He added: “It was an error of omission, I was not willingly wanting to cause harm to any pupil in my care.”
His lawyer, Alistair Milne, said it was an isolated incident in a 26-year career.
“There is nothing before you that suggests he is anything other than a competent teacher,” said Mr Milne.
“He has fully admitted the matters at issue and has shown genuine remorse.”
Convener of the panel, Frieda Fraser, said: “The panel’s decision is we accept the respondent’s admission and we have found him to be impaired.”
The panel will now discuss in private whether Mr Eaton will still be struck off or given a probation and will tell him their decision within 14 days.
