Lecturer ‘fancied pants off’ student, hearing told
AN EXPERIENCED and “wellliked” college lecturer gave a student a handwritten note and his phone number with a view to developing a relationship with her, a professional standards committee has heard.
Julian Fuge admitted to senior college staff during an internal investigation that he “fancied the pants off” the student, the panel was told.
Hairdressing lecturer Fuge had worked at Gower College, Swansea, for 16 years before the “moment of madness” in autumn 2022 when he handed the student a note saying: “We can meet up for a chat about what we feel about each other and where you and I want to go.” The mature student was in her second year of a hairdressing course and was not being taught by Fuge at the time but was due to be the following term, the Education Workforce Council (EWC) panel was told.
An internal investigation was launched after the incident was reported to the college in October 2022 and Fuge was suspended. The lecturer did not attend and was not represented at the hearing yesterday, but was said to have told the internal investigation he had not intended anything romantic by the note and had not realised friendships with mature students weren’t allowed.
Fuge faces three allegations that in or around October 2022 he gave a hand-written note to Learner One with a view to developing a personal relationship with them, that he wrote his personal phone number and/or the words: “We can meet up for a chat about what we feel about each other and where you and I want to go”, that that alleged conduct was sexually motivated, and that the conduct amounts to unacceptable professional conduct.
The allegations were taken as denied because he did not formally respond to the EWC about them and was not at the hearing or represented. The college’s former head of faculty, Hayley Thomas, who headed up the college’s internal inquiry after the note was reported, told the panel she was not aware of any formal Gower College policy about relationships with students but there was a safeguarding officer to protect learners.
Ms Thomas, who now works at Bridgend College, said Fuge had confirmed he handed the note to the student during the internal investigation. “I believe he told [staff ] during one of those [internal investigation] meetings that he ‘fancied the pants off her,’” Ms Thomas told the panel. She said that during the investigation
Fuge accepted sending the note and giving his number to the student.
She said she did not know Fuge personally but had been told he was “very pleasant and friendly” but “could become passionate and heated”. She said he was “generally very well-liked”.
She had tried to speak to the student, referred to as Learner One to protect her identity, and another student, referred to as Learner Two, who reported the incident, but had been unable to. “Learner One had not attended college since the incident. They did not come to the meeting with the investigator and I was unable to make contact.
“I tried to talk to Learner Two, however, Learner Two stated they did not want to meet with me.”
EWC presenting officer Kira Evans said there was an “absence of innocent motivation” for sending the note. She told the panel: “It’s clear from the content of the note that it was intended for a relationship. Mr Fuge accepted in an internal investigation he had provided his number in that note and that he provided the note ‘in a moment of madness.’” She added: “The wording suggests sexual motive.”
EWC legal adviser Sarah Price told the panel that any evidence from the internal investigation should be regarded as “hearsay”.
The hearing continues.