Music teacher ‘spotted lying naked on top of pupil in f lat’

A TEACHER was seen lying naked on top of a sixth-year pupil at her home, a disciplinary hearing has been told.

Elizabeth Smillie was also seen kissing and holding hands with the same girl at a Scottish safari park, it is alleged.

On other occasions, Miss Smillie was seen holding hands in public with the 17-yearold, including after a party, according to Scotland’s teaching watchdog.

The Renfrewshire music teacher faces a total of four allegations at the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

These include two other pupils with whom she is said to have used Facebook and texts to conduct inappropriate relationships.

Miss Smillie was not present or represented at the Edinburgh hearing, but denies inappropriate conduct.

If the allegations are found proved she could be struck off the teaching register. The hearing took evidence from Pupil B, who cannot be named for legal reasons, a friend of the 17-year-old known as Pupil C.

Pupil C was a sixth-year student alleged to have been in a relationship with the teacher while she was working at Gleniffer High School, Paisley.

Pupil B told the panel that she, another pupil and Pupil C were at Miss Smillie’s flat where they would sometimes drink alcohol.

Pupil B said: ‘I walked into the room. I was looking for Pupil C. I opened the door and Elizabeth Smillie was naked on top of her. I could only see the teacher. It was incredibly awkward.’

When asked by the panel how sure she could be about what she had seen, Pupil B said there was ‘no doubt’ that it was Miss Smillie and Pupil C. She also spoke of an incident where Miss Smillie turned up at a party to pick up Pupil C.

She said: ‘She turned up at a party in her car. They were holding hands in the car.

‘I was in the back in the middle. Pupil C was in the front, holding hands.’

Pupil B also spoke of an incident where she, Pupil C and Pupil D went on a trip to Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling, with Miss Smillie.

She said: ‘When we were walking about the park they were holding hands and kissing.’

According to the allegations – covering the 2011-12 school year – Miss Smillie repeatedly met Pupil C outwith school hours when Pupil C was under the influence of alcohol and repeatedly engaged in inappropriate sexual activity with her.

Among allegations relating to claims of an inappropriate relationship with another girl known as Pupil A – who was 15 at the time – Miss Smillie is also accused of failing to inform colleagues about the pupil coming to school under the influence of alcohol.

She also met Pupil A outside school and kissed her when the girl was under the influence of alcohol, it is alleged.

The GTCS alleges that Miss Smillie’s fitness to teach is impaired and that she is unfit to teach.

A spokesman for Renfrewshire Council said: ‘We took immediate action as soon as we became aware of incidents taking place.

‘The employee no longer works for the council.’

‘Holding hands and kissing’