Head struck off for taking £3k in 'cones for cash' scam

Published on Wednesday 10 March 2010 21:58

A HEADTEACHER found to have embezzled around £3,000 from his school has been struck off after a panel deemed his conduct "reprehensible and disgraceful".

Donald Matheson rented out a spot in his playground to an ice cream van for 10 a day and pocketed the cash, the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) heard. The money did not appear in the school's bank account until an internal audit was ordered and carried out.

His behaviour fell short of the standards expected and the disciplinary sub-committee of the GTCS – which Mr Matheson once convened – yesterday ruled the only option was for him to be removed from the professional register. The move means Mr Matheson, who reportedly took early retirement, is now banned from teaching.

A former president of the Headteachers' Association of Scotland, he faced a charge at the conduct hearing of embezzling around 3,000 from Hermitage Academy, Helensburgh, while he was the head teacher there.

The allegation related to the period between 1 October 2003 and 25 May 2005.

After hearing evidence from a number of "reliable and credible" witnesses, including workers at the school, the committee found the charge against him to be proved.

The panel found that the ice cream van operators made payments at the rate of 10 per day to school administration staff, which were either handed to Mr Matheson or placed in an envelope for his attention.

When the financial arrangement was drawn to the attention of the head of services at Argyll and Bute Council, and he did not receive an "adequate explanation", an internal audit was ordered, the panel noted. In the days that followed, 1,650 was handed over by Mr Matheson to be paid into the school fund bank account "as a matter of urgency".

The disciplinary board noted that calculations showed around 3,290 in ice cream van payments would have been made, but neither that amount, nor any other sum of money, could be traced until the payment of 1,650 was handed over.

Issuing the panel's decision, convener Carole Ford said: "The sub-committee considered that the nature of the conduct contained within the charges held proven fell short of the standard expected of a registered teacher and, therefore, that the respondent was guilty of conduct which had material relevance to their fitness to be a registered teacher."

She added: "In arriving at this decision, members took into account the gravity of the charge, particularly in relation to the respondent's position in the school, and the fact that he attempted to conceal further his activities.

"It considered the submissions made on behalf of the respondent but in view of the serious, reprehensible and disgraceful nature of the conduct, it concluded that the only disposal was for the respondent's name to be removed from the register."

Mr Matheson, from Glasgow, was not present at the hearing. His solicitor, Andrew Gibb, said that he had no explanation for the embezzlement other than "human frailty".

Mr Gibb said: "He had a long and distinguished career and attained high office. I have to say that it is very difficult to explain when people do stupid things to the peril of their career."