A teacher who refered to a vulnerable student as an “attention seeker with a transgender identity crisis” has avoided being struck off.
Claire Sweeney made the comment to the head of faculty at Uddingston Grammar in Lanarkshire while they discussed an issue involving the pupil’s mother.
The teacher raised her voice and adopted a “shouty tone”, saying the pupil was an “attention seeker with a transgender identity crisis” or similar words, the General Teaching Council (GTCS) for Scotland recorded.
At the GTCS hearing, Sweeney denied using “discriminatory language” and said she had a good relationship with the pupil, but a panel found that the allegation was proven on the balance of probabilities.
Sweeney was also accused of telling another pupil “I’m not here to wipe your a**e” in an exchange – an outburst she admitted.
And she was alleged to have told a class “I am not vaguely interested…when will you realise that?” and “for God’s sake, just shut up”, which she denied.
GTCS panellists heard how Sweeney had been accused of being “unfit to teach” and breaching Scotland’s code of professionalism and conduct because of the incidents in 2018.
In its written ruling, GTCS said the teacher’s behaviour amounted to misconduct, but panel members were satisfied it was “remediable” and allowed her to remain as a teacher.
File photo: Transgemder comment was allegedly made to awitness who raised concerns about a mother who complained about the response her daughter got when she asked for spelling sheets and help with an essay
(Getty Images)
The ruling read: “The teacher accepted that she would occasionally raise her voice in order to take control but would not use the words attributed to her in relation [to the accusation].”
“In summary, the panel concluded that there was no current impairment of the teacher’s fitness to teach. Accordingly, the teacher was found to be currently fit to teach.
“As the teacher was found to be currently fit to teach, that marked an end to proceedings with no further action required.”
Sweeney left Uddingston Grammar due to ill health following the incidents and disciplinary proceedings that followed in March 2018. After a period of recovery, she has since taken up work at another school.
Matt Mathers
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