Dirty teacher caught after partner finds naked pics of pupil
Job hearing told of lies to head and girlfriend over teen affair
A TEACHER who admits having sexual relations with an S6 pupil claims he is still fit to teach.
Ross Spittal, who taught at Inveralmond Community High in West Lothian, had sex with the pupil at his home on at least two occasions.
The 31-year-old maths teacher, from Bishopton, Renfrewshire, began a relationship with the teenager, believed to be 18 at the time, in 2019.
He was outed when Spittal’s then girlfriend, Kim Smyth, found 800 emails, including naked images of the pupil.
At a General Teaching Council for Scotland hearing yesterday, Smyth, 32, said she found the messages on pupil-teacher portal Glow.
Spittal, brother of Ross County footballer Blair Spittal, admitted the relationship and is thought to still be with the girl.
But he believes he should still be allowed to teach.
A tearful Smyth told the hearing she had been aware of the pupil as it had been a running joke in the school, including with colleages who were friends, that she had “a crush” on him.
Smyth said: “It was surprising for pupils to have a crush on him but I didn’t think he would act on it. I saw that he was searching for Pupil A on Facebook.
“He said he was feeling low about teaching and he was looking for nice messages pupils wrote about him. One Saturday night at about 2am, me and Ross were sitting in drinking and he kept looking at his phone.
“He was messaging Pupil A on Glow.
“The day I came across the emails on our laptop, a message popped up at the bottom of the screen – she was emailing him.
“They were planning on meeting up.
“On 22 May, 2019, I discussed a number of emails between him and Pupil A. I found 800 emails between the two dating back to early 2019. There were naked pictures of Pupil A.
“I was literally seeing naked photos of her as I was speaking to him on the phone.
“He asked me not to tell the police or the school. It’s something I regret. I was in complete shock and heartbroken.
“It was in his hands to say what he had done.” Police found no criminality had occurred.
Lawyer Claire Raftery said her client admitted all allegations brought to him by the GTCS.
He admitted kissing the girl after an Easter school session in April 2019 and having sexual relations around the same time.
In May 2019, Spittal told the school’s head there was “nothing going on”.
Yesterday, he admitted to being dishonest.
The GTCS investigation will determine whether Spittal should remain on the teaching register.
The hearing continues.
I found 800 emails – there were naked pictures
KIM SMYTH
SPITTAL’S THEN PARTNER