Teacher faces being struck off after asking if pupil was a terrorist

A teacher faces being struck off after being charged with sexist behaviour towards colleagues and asking a pupil if he was a terrorist

David Mcghee, who teaches religious education as well as history and modern studies, was working at two schools in Aberdeen at the time of the alleged offences.

The teacher, who also worked as an Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) marker, tried and failed to have the charges against him discussed in private at a hearing of the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) in Edinburgh this week.

He faces charges that between 2011 and 2013, while employed by Aberdeen City Council at Harlaw Academy “you did instigate inappropriate conversations with colleagues which contained sexual references”.

Mr Mcghee, in reference to two pupils, is accused of saying: “Every man’s dream, twins, but not at their age, of course.”

On 30 August, 2013 Mr Mcghee, 51, allegedly stared at the legs of a female colleague and looked up her skirt.

He faces another charge that between 2011 and 2013 he made a remark of a racist nature towards a pupil at Harlaw, asking: “Are you sure you are not a terrorist, that’s all right then, at least you are not putting poison on the door handle.”

Other charges relate to the teacher’s subsequent work Kincorth Academy, Aberdeen, and involve alleged professional failings. He is alleged to have lost pupils’ scripts, meaning they lost out on National 4 history qualifications.

Mr Mcghee did not appear at the hearing and was not represented but sent a letter in which he denied all the allegations.

The disciplinary hearing was told that Stuart Craig, deputy head teacher at Hazelhead Academy, Aberdeen, was asked to investigate the teacher’s alleged professional failings.

During this investigation, he said he uncovered evidence of numerous improper remarks.

He told the panel: “One was a racist incident, another around sexual remarks to a student, and one of staring at a female colleague.

“I didn’t investigate these but I did pass them on to the authority.”

Mr Craig said Harlaw Academy wanted the matter treated informally.

He told the hearing: “In my opinion, in their response to this, Harlaw Academy failed in their duty to support pupils and staff. If these allegations were made by pupils or staff I’d expect formal interviews.”

The hearing continues.