A teacher mocked pupils, talked about porn and played age-inappropriate videos during just 18 days of employment at a Fife high school, it has been claimed.
English teacher Donna Gilchrist is said to have made fun of a girl with dyslexia in front of her classmates at Beath High as she struggled to read work.
And she is accused of playing a YouTube clip of comedian Sarah Millican that referenced masturbation.
Shocked third year pupils at the Cowdenbeath school were so upset by the alleged behaviour that a five-strong delegation knocked on the depute rector’s door to report it.
And worried parents phoned and wrote to the school to express concerns.
Gilchrist faces a catalogue of allegations, which also include using racist language in class and making comments about God in front of a devoutly Christian pupil.
The claims cover a period between December 2017 and February 2018.
Beath High School depute rector Gordon Hunter said: “The teacher was only in school for a total of around 18 days as she had significant absence.”
Teacher not attending hearing as she has ‘more pressing issues’
The claims are being considered by a panel of the General Teaching Council (GTC) for Scotland during a three-day hearing.
GTC Scotland solicitor Jennifer McPhee said Gilchrist would not be attending and added: “She notifies she has more pressing issues to attend to.”
Mr Hunter said the English teacher was appointed in November 2017 and complaints started the following month.
He said: “Two girls came to my office during class time to complain about the teacher.
“They said no work had been set and she had been shouting in pupils’ faces.
“Most concerning to me was she had also made fun of a girl with dyslexia.”
He claimed the two pupils were followed by another three less than a minute later.
“They felt so strongly about this they came as a delegation,” he said,
He added: “There were also concerns as a parent had complained in writing about their son who had a particular Christian belief and felt their son had been mocked in class because of that.”
‘Laughed at pupil using racist term’
Mr Hunter said: “The girls who came to me said they thought enough was enough.
“There had clearly been continuous issues in the short time the teacher had been in school and the girls thought this incident had been a step too far.”
Beath High guidance teacher Helen Bradley-Laing also spoke of a telephone conversation with a pupil’s mum, who told her of other claims.
These included allegations Gilchrist had laughed at a pupil who called classmates n***** instead of reprimanding him.
She also allegedly told pupils that using alcohol and illegal drugs was “no big deal”.
Mrs Bradley-Laing said: “The pupil confronted the teacher and asked her who was meant to be the adult and left the classroom.
“The teacher had replied ‘good riddance’.”
Teacher admitted some allegations during council investigation
Ms McPhee told the panel that during a Fife Council investigation Gilchrist had admitted playing videos that were not approved of by the school or relevant to the lesson.
She said she also admitted telling an anecdote about being asked to buy porn for her husband.
However, she denied the remaining allegations.
And in a written statement to GTC Scotland, she referred to a lack of discipline and under-staffing at Beath.
She also referenced an alleged incident where a girl was threatened with a chisel at the school.
All these claims were denied by the depute rector.
Full list of allegations against Donna Gilchrist
The allegations against the teacher at Beath High, as set out by the GTCS, are as follows.
Between December 2017 and February 2018 it is claimed that the teacher:
- Made comments regarding God which were upsetting to pupils in her class
- Mocked her pupil – referred to as Pupil A – as a result of her dyslexia
- Showed a number of videos to pupils in lessons which were not materials approved of by the school; were not relevant to the classes being taught; included offensive language; and were not age-appropriate
- Had discussions on the subjects of drugs and alcohol and portrayed these in a positive light
- Told her class an anecdote about being asked to purchase a pornographic magazine for her husband
- Used and condoned racist language in the classroom, in that she used the word ‘n*****’ in discussions with pupils, and allowed pupils to use the word ‘n*****’ without objection
- The watchdog says as a result of these claims, the teacher is unfit to work in the profession.
If any allegations are found to be proven, it will then be up to the GTC whether to impose any sanctions – which could include being banned from teaching.
