A HEADTEACHER has failed in a bid to have allegations of improper contact involving pupils heard in secret.
Gillian Rew was sacked from her £74,000-per-year post last inSeptember last year after allegedly getting drunk with sixth-year students during a school trip.
The 49-year-old former head of Arbroath High School in Angus asked Scotland’s teaching watchdog to hear the charges against her behind close doors.
SheMrs Rew is accused of being under the influence of alcohol, breaching child-protection rules, and having improper contact with pupils.
But the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) (GTCS) threw out the application saying it was in the public interest for the hearing to be held in open session, apart from evidence relating to her marriage.
The GTCS has now revealed the full charges against Mrs Rew all of which
relating to an adventure weekend trip to Lockerbie Manor in September 2014.
The allegations state: “Whilst you were attending an S6 residential excursion at Lockerbie Manor, Lockerbie, you did ,whilst having control of S6 pupils and also being the child protection designated officer for the excursion, consume alcohol and you were under the influence of alcohol. As a consequence of the above, you were in breach of Angus Council’s child protection guidelines and
procedures for educational excursions.”
The charges add: “And, thereafter, whilst under the influence of alcohol, you engaged in inappropriate conversations with, made inappropriate comments to and had improper contact with pupils.
“In light of the above it is alleged that your fitness to teach is impaired and you are unfit to teach as a result of breaching...the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s code of professionalism and conduct 2012.”
During a procedural hearing on Wednesday, the panel read out a letter from Mrs Rew’s clinical psychologist stating that at the time of the complaint Mrs Rew was in “ill health”.
Dr Alison Harper suggested there would be an adverse detrimental impact onthe Mrs Rew’s ability to provide evidence if the hearing was heard in public.
Mrs Rew’s representative added that the case “goes beyond distress and embarrassment” because his respondent had been diagnosed with a clinical condition and potential harm could be avoided.
He later stated the process would be distressing, upsetting and would provoke anxiety for Mrs Rew.
Balancing these concerns and the public interest, the panel concluded the hearing should be heard in public with the exception of evidence relating to marital Mrs Rew’s marriage and family circumstances.
It is believed the that Angus council became aware of Mrs Rew’s alleged drunken behaviour after receiving a complaint from aconcerned parent.
Since the allegations came to light, social media has been awash with rumour and speculation over what exactly happened during the trip.
Many studentspupils went online to defend their former headmistress, saying the claims were exaggerated and that she transformed the school and was great at her job.
One schoolgirl said: “Omg Mrs Rew. She was suspended for being drunk at the residential. It’s so unfair. It’s not like she harmed any of us.” A schoolboy wrote: “Sacking Mrs Rew proves Angus Council have an absolute zero banter policy. The amount she did for the school was unreal and for her to go like that is tragic.”
She was suspended from her job shortly after the trip and a police investigation was launched.The case was eventually dropped and prosecutors in Scotland declined to charge her.
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