Glasgow teacher disciplined for comparing a 12-year-old boy to a gangster

The male teacher admitted insulting the boy while speaking to a colleague in a classroom at Holyrood Secondary School in Govanhill, in front of pupils.

He said the young boy "thinks he's a bit of a gangster".

But he denied a second claim that he said the boy was "over confident for someone who was so overweight".

His actions have been branded "ill-judged, unprofessional and unacceptable" by Glasgow City Council education bosses.

According to a letter from the school head, seen by the Evening Times, the teacher has been "dealt with under the education department's disciplinary procedures", following an investigation.

But the nature of the action is unknown.

In the letter to the pupil's dad - which refers to the male teacher as "Teacher A" and his colleague as "Teacher B" - Holyrood Secondary's head teacher Laurence Byrne said: "The depute head duly investigated the matter, speaking to Teacher A, Teacher B, your son and the other pupils in the class who were seated near the two teachers when the comments were alleged to have been made.

"Teacher A admitted making the comment that your son "thinks he's a bit of a gangster".

"Teacher B accepts that he said that to her.

"Other pupils heard that first comment.

"Teacher A is adamant that he did not make the second alleged comment regarding your son being "overconfident for someone who was so overweight"."

The letter adds that the second teacher agreed that the male teacher did not say this and the interviews from the pupils also weighed in his favour.

Mr Byrne's letter adds: "On the basis that the first comment about your son "thinks he's a bit of a gangster", the teacher was advised that this comment was unacceptable and that it being made in public to another teacher and in the hearing of pupils was ill-judged, unprofessional and unacceptable.

"Teacher A was dealt with under the education department's disciplinary procedures."

The boy's dad told the Evening Times: "My son was a happy boy and was very confident before this happened but now he is really low.

"He wont go out to play with his friends after school when before he would go and play football.

"He has also changed some of his eating habits and wont have meals with the family."

He added: "I am disgusted at the way he has been treated.

"I can accept that children may say things about each other behind their backs.

"But this is not something you expect from a teacher."

A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: "The appropriate disciplinary action has been taken by the school following an investigation into the allegations made.

"There is no evidence that some of the alleged comments were made by the teacher in question and the family have been told this."

*The Evening Times has chosen not to name the pupil or the teacher.