Former teacher Mike Barile accuses General Teaching Council for Scotland of 'witch-hunt'
Former Dundee teacher Mike Barile has accused the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) of engaging in a "witch-hunt" after being called to face a disciplinary hearing two years after walking away from the profession.
Mike Barile.
- Published in the Courier : 27.04.11
- Published online : 27.04.11 @ 07.55am
Mr Barile lost his career in teaching when he was sacked from Lawside Academy after being convicted of assaulting two 14-year-old pupils.
The Court of Appeal in Edinburgh later granted him an absolute discharge and criticised prosecutors for having brought a criminal action in the first place, given the "disgraceful behaviour" of the pupils involved and the "relatively insignificant" nature of Mr Barile's response.
The GTCS have called him to a disciplinary hearing today, despite Mr Barile giving up his career.
He said, "I'd call it a witch-hunt. When I got the absolute discharge I thought it was the end of this mess.
"I wanted to draw a line under things and get on with my life — but now this has happened.
"I've not been employed as a teacher for the last two years and don't plan on taking up any teaching position.
"I could understand if I was applying for a teaching post but I've not applied for anything and I'm not interested in doing so, so I don't know why they're doing this."
Since leaving the classroom, Mr Barile has done voluntary work with football charity United For All — he was until recently a fans' representative on the Dundee United FC board — and at his church.
A spokesman for the GTCS said that the body does not discuss the details of individual cases, but that it is a legal requirement for every case to be investigated.
