Gavin Dunsmuir married his former pupil Megan Reid last year Credit: Deadline News
By The Telegraph
An RE teacher has been struck off after getting into an inappropriate relationship with a pupil who he went on to marry and have children with. Gavin Dunsmuir was found to have formed a relationship with Megan Reid in 2015 while he was employed at Largs Academy in North Ayrshire and she was a pupil there over the age of 16.
The 50-year-old went on to leave his wife and move in with Ms Reid, now 25, before marrying her last year and having two children together.
Dunsmuir has now been removed from the teaching register after an investigation was launched into the couple’s relationship by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).
They found that Dunsmuir formed an inappropriate relationship with Ms Reid by attending a pub with her and other former pupils.
They also found that he had taken Ms Reid to a colleague’s home and spent time with her with his daughter.
On Friday, the GTCS made its decision, stating: “The panel has found that the teacher’s conduct falls significantly short of the standards expected of a registered teacher and he is therefore unfit to teach.
“The panel must direct that his name be removed from the register of teachers.”
Investigation started in 2018
The GTCS has been investigating Dunsmuir since 2018 – with the hearing reconvening this week to hear further evidence from a former colleague and Ms Reid’s father.
Giving evidence on Thursday, Donald Reid, 62, said: “I am very distressed about the situation. When people ask about my daughter I struggle not to tell them that she ran off with her teacher.
“I saw two cards in her room, one was a birthday card and one was for leaving school. She had gotten cards from other teachers which were appropriate, the one which was not appropriate was from Mr Dunsmuir. He had referred to her as Meg Mog [in the card].
“I telephoned Heather Burns [Largs Academy headteacher] and made my feelings clear, she confirmed that the teacher under investigation was allegedly involved with Megan.
“She said the reason I had not been informed was because Megan was over 16, I felt that I was and still am Megan’s father and to find out via tittle tattle I thought was poor.”
‘I was in a bit of shock’
The GTCS also heard from Pauline Hughes, former principal teacher of RE at Largs Academy, who said: “I recall that the viewing panel of the door had been covered up with a flag. It had been pinned over the glass. I entered the room and it was very clear I had interrupted them.They were sitting across the table with their heads going into one another. I was in a bit of shock or denial.
“I just didn’t want to think anything untoward was happening – I was wrong, I should have been proactive and got the wee girl out of there.”
The couple’s relationship came to light after they were spotted in the Lounge pub in Largs, North Ayrshire by a fellow teacher at Largs Academy. Dunsmuir’s behaviour raised alarm bells with the off-duty teacher, who said his body language with the pupil made them “look like a couple”.
Dunsmuir did not attend any part of the hearing or arrange legal representation on his behalf.