Exclusive:'I was absolutely broken': Scottish author describes how a teacher's life can be turned upside down by false allegations

Award-winning writer claims some councils allow investigations to ‘drift on endlessly’

An award-winning Scottish author has spoken for the first time about being left “absolutely broken” by allegations made against him when he was a teacher.

Donald S Murray’s work is now studied in schools in Scotland, but he revealed to The Scotsman how his own “horrendous” experience resulted in his decision to quit teaching and start writing.

The author of The Guga Hunters decided to highlight what happened to him because he believes action is needed to address “incredible inconsistencies” in the way different local authorities deal with allegations against teachers.

Donald S Murray PIC: Sandie Maciver

He said some complaints can take several months, or even years, to properly investigate, during which time the staff involved are left in limbo.

Mr Murray revealed he was accused of inappropriate behaviour against a pupil while teaching English in Shetland about a decade ago. He was not suspended and he said he was cleared by the police and the council, later receiving compensation.

“It had a huge emotional impact on me. I was absolutely broken by the whole shambles,” he said.

“It lasted four-and-a-half months when it should have been dealt with in three or four days. When I started writing about the guga hunters, that was in the aftermath of that. That’s why I started writing.

"In some ways, the worst thing that happened to me professionally was the best thing that ever happened. In a sense, what happened to me gave me a whole new life. It was both a diversion and an escape route.”

Shetland Islands Council declined to comment when contacted by The Scotsman.

Mr Murray’s debut novel, As the Women Lay Dreaming, won the Paul Torday Memorial Prize in 2020, and was shortlisted for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award in 2019.

His play Sequamur – set in Stornoway during the First World War – is now studied by Higher and National 5 pupils in parts of Scotland.

The Guga Hunters, meanwhile, tells the story of the men from Ness, Lewis, who sail 40 miles every year to catch and harvest the guga, which is Gaelic for gannet.

However, despite his success as a writer, Mr Murray, who was raised in Ness, has remained frustrated at the way some fellow teachers are treated when they face allegations in the way he did.

He also believes others who are found to have committed serious misconduct often receive little punishment, and are allowed to return to teaching.

"I’ve been very conscious that I could see injustices and inequalities. It was always an undercurrent in my life because I was aware of the same thing happening to others,” he said.

“It’s horrendous. Things need to alter, and there needs to be a consistency about following the rules across local authorities, because that is not in evidence at the moment. It is incredible, the inconsistencies that are going on.

"I have heard countless horror stories about the inconsistent and erratic way in which allegations against teachers – and indeed those involving the protection of children – have been handled throughout Scotland.

"Some members of staff have been suspended for long stretches of time because of false claims made by either pupils or parents.

"The guidelines for the way of handling these matters have been either ignored or misunderstood by those working for particular local authorities, especially those in rural areas.

"Some councils have sought to limit these investigations to between 14 and 28 days. Others – despite the fact that their outline of procedures indicate that such processes should be completed ‘immediately’ – allow them to drift on endlessly with some stretching out quite needlessly for periods between 10 months and two years.

"There are stories, too, about recurring allegations – in which certain pupils make false claims about teachers again and again.”

Recent freedom of information requests have revealed a teacher in East Ayrshire has been suspended for 577 days, while another has been suspended for six months in Aberdeenshire.

“There needs to be a consistent manner across the country in the way these matters are handled,” Mr Murray said.

He added that he backed a petition made in 2022 to the Scottish Parliament which called for the establishment of an independent inquiry, and an independent national whistleblowing officer, to investigate concerns about the alleged mishandling of child safeguarding enquiries by public bodies.

As well as investigations by local authorities, as employers of teachers, allegations can also be probed by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

A spokesperson said: “One of GTC Scotland’s core roles as the independent regulatory body for the teaching profession is to maintain and enhance trust in teaching. 

"Our Fitness to Teach process is separate from employment or criminal proceedings and is an essential public safeguard.

"We investigate serious concerns that are referred to us about teachers on our register through the Fitness to Teach process. Referrals can come from employers, Disclosure Scotland and members of the public. Teachers and college lecturers may also refer themselves.

"This process focuses on future prevention of risk and is about ensuring that teaching standards, which are set out in the Standards for Registration and the Code of Professionalism and Conduct, are upheld.”

There are more than 80,000 teachers and college lecturers registered with GTCS.

In 2021/22, the regulator received 230 “fitness to teach” cases, of which 54 were referred by the public, 51 by the body employing the teacher, and 125 from other sources. A total of 206 related to conduct and 17 to competence.