CRAIG SMITH STRUCK OFF IN RUTHERGLEN FOR INAPPROPRIATE FACEBOOK MESSAGES WITH PUPIL

In August 2019, a serious misconduct case involving Craig Smith, a drama teacher from Rutherglen, came to light, leading to his removal from the teaching register. Smith, aged 37, was found to have engaged in inappropriate online communication with a 14-year-old pupil, which included sending her explicit messages and images via Facebook Messenger.

Smith, who served as the principal teacher of drama at Stonelaw High School in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, initiated contact with the young girl on 15 separate occasions between April and July of the previous year. The conversations revealed a pattern of inappropriate behavior, including Smith asking the pupil about her appearance, inquiring what she was wearing at the time, and sending her personal photographs of himself. Among the images he shared were a video of himself in his garden, a photograph taken during a stag event, and a picture of himself dressed in a kilt.

These actions prompted immediate concern when the school became aware of the incidents, leading to Smith's suspension. Subsequently, he appeared before a hearing conducted by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). During the proceedings, Smith admitted to the allegations against him, acknowledging his misconduct.

The GTCS panel issued a detailed written ruling, describing the nature of Smith’s inappropriate conduct. The panel noted that his conversations with the pupil involved comments and questions about her appearance, her clothing, alcohol, and topics related to the school and staff members. The panel also highlighted that Smith had requested photographs from the pupil and used offensive language, swearing multiple times in various contexts.

In its judgment, the panel emphasized that Smith’s behavior fell significantly below the professional standards expected of registered teachers. The conduct was deemed very serious and fundamentally incompatible with the responsibilities of a teaching professional. The panel also observed that Smith’s misconduct had persisted over a period of time, and although he expressed remorse and apologized, the panel concluded that the issues had not been adequately remediated. There was a concern that such behavior could recur in the future.

During the hearing, Smith explained that he was under considerable stress at the time, citing a family illness and a recent promotion at work as contributing factors. He also admitted that his initial contact with the pupil was made while he was intoxicated, describing it as a grave error of judgment. Despite his apologies, the panel decided that he would not be eligible to reapply for registration for a period of two years.

As a result of these findings, Craig Smith has been formally struck off the teaching register, effectively ending his career as a registered teacher in Scotland. The case underscores the importance of maintaining professional boundaries and the serious consequences of misconduct involving minors and social media.