Ex-super head faces ban over sex complaint
String of allegations against trouble-shooter who turned around problem high school
A FORMER head teacher who turned around one of Scotland’s toughest schools has been accused of failing to properly handle a sexual harassment complaint.
Derek Curran was drafted in to take the lead at Castlebrae Community High School, Edinburgh, in 2013 in a bid to turn the underperforming school around.
But the 61-year-old soon became embroiled in controversy and is now set to appear before an education watchdog where he faces a host of allegations.
The General Teaching Council for Scotland is set to hear evidence that Curran failed to act properly over claims that a teacher was sexually harassing an adult learner.
The educator is also accused of not ensuring proper support was put in place for the alleged victim and failing to refer another potential historic child protection issue.
In addition, the watchdog will examine whether Curran’s 2016 conviction for threatening or abusive behaviour makes him unfit to teach.
He found himself in the dock after refusing to leave a ward at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh where he placed two people in a state of alarm in January 2014.
Curran is also facing claims that he failed to adhere to Edinburgh City Council’s procedures for travel expenses to the sum of £399.
The “super head” is also accused of failing to adhere to proper procedures in relation to payment of salaries to post-secondary education staff avoiding the payment of tax and national insurance. Curran faces being banned from the profession with a three-day hearing due to take place in Edinburgh later this week.
In 2018, the former head teacher won an unfair dismissal claim against City of Edinburgh Council, after a judge found that the authority “failed to follow a fair procedure” during his dismissal.
Employment judge Murdo Macleod agreed that his alleged failure to report the historic child protection issue did amount to misconduct.
But he found that the council “lumping” other allegations against him during the firing process was “unfair”.
Curran was previously accused of fathering a child with an underage girl and was charged by police but the case was later dropped.
A domestic abuse case, where he was accused of beating two pregnant women, was also later thrown out of court.