PE teacher, 23, who ‘had sex’ with an 18-year-old student after school prom was reported by an ‘alarmed’ pupil who ‘saw them in a Premier Inn room together’ and told the headteacher, tribunal hears
- Melissa Tweedie allegedly partied with pupils at SWG3 nightclub in Glasgow
- She is then said to have gone back with them to a Premier Hotel in June 2017
- It is claimed that Miss Tweedie then had sex with a pupil, who was aged 18
An ‘alarmed’ pupil rang their headteacher after spotting a PE teacher in a hotel room with a student she allegedly had sex with, a tribunal has heard.
David Nicholls today revealed that he drove to a Premier Inn in Glasgow to try and find Melissa Tweedie, 23 at the time, who allegedly had sex with a pupil, then 18, after prom.
Mr Nicholls, the former head of Gleniffer High School in Paisley, Renfrewshire, turned up to the hotel at around 2.10am on June 8, 2017 and was met by six pupils in the foyer.
He claims they told him they were adamant that Miss Tweedie was in a room with an 18-year-old pupil.
Mr Nicholls finally managed to reach Miss Tweedie, now 27, on the phone and claimed she was at home at the time. However, the following day Mr Nicholls said the pupil in the room admitted that he had slept with Miss Tweedie.
Miss Tweedie is alleged to have partied with pupils at their school prom at SWG3 nightclub in Glasgow before going back with them to a Premier Hotel in June 2017.
She faces being struck off the teaching register by the General Teaching Council for Scotland following an investigation into the allegations.
Melissa Tweedie (pictured) faces being struck off the register for the encounter with a former student
Tweedie is alleged to have partied with pupils at SWG3 nightclub in Glasgow, drinking shots before going back with them to a Premier Hotel in June 2017, when she was 23
Giving evidence to the panel today, Mr Nicholls said: ‘On the evening of the leavers dance I became aware that something was wrong. I saw (teachers) Heather Prentice and Lyndsay Cameron.
‘They said Miss Tweedie had left with a group of pupils. She seemed absolutely fine and compos mentis (at SWG3). I later found out from senior staff that they thought she was getting over familiar with a certain senior student.
‘Staff members were telling Miss Tweedie that they would get her a lift or a taxi. She refused and said she was getting a lift from her flat mate.’
He added: ‘At 1:45am, one of the senior boys phoned me. The boy who phoned seemed alarmed and said that Miss Tweedie was in the hotel.
‘He seemed quite anxious. When I got into the foyer I found six pupils, including the Head Boy and Deputy Head Girl, they seemed anxious and said that a member of staff was in the hotel.
‘Hotel staff asked the age of the people involved and when they ascertained that they were of legal age they said it was not their problem. One of the boys was adamant that they saw her in one of the hotel rooms.’
Referring to the moment he reached Miss Tweedie on the phone, Mr Nicholls said: ‘She did sound a little drowsy.
‘She told me that she had been at the hotel but was now at home. I told her to come and see me in the morning.
‘The students showed me how to take a snapshot of my location on my phone. I sent that to her and asked her to send the same.
Miss Tweedie is alleged to have told the headteacher at the school that she was at home when she was at the Premier Inn
‘She did not reply. I eventually got home at 4am and was back up for work at 6am.’
Mr Nicholls arranged a meeting with Pupil A at Gleniffer High School the following morning.
He said: ‘The pupil came in alone. He said they’d been in the room having a drink with other pupils, then they began to leave.
‘I asked him ‘did you have sex with a member of staff?’
‘He said ‘yes’.’
The following day Mr Nicholls suspended Miss Tweedie while they carried out an investigation.
He said: ‘I had a letter on authority to tell her that she had to be suspended. Miss Tweedie was told she was suspended, with no option for conversation.
‘She broke down in tears. She left shortly afterwards.’
Miss Tweedie, who now lives in Dubai working as a yoga instructor, faces being struck off the register by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) following the allegations.
The allegations read: ‘Between 7 June 2017 and 8 June 2017, whilst employed by Renfrewshire Council as a PE Teacher at Gleniffer High School, at the senior prom and immediately thereafter, you danced inappropriately with pupils during the prom, including making inappropriate physical contact whilst dancing with them at SWG3, Glasgow.
‘[You] kissed Pupil A at the hotel in which pupils were staying for the night, the Premier Inn Hotel and engaged in sexual intercourse with Pupil A after the prom, at the Premier Inn.
‘[You drank a shot (or shots) at the bar of SWG3, behaved in an inappropriate manner in a hotel room at the Premier Inn by drinking alcohol in the presence of pupils and stating words to the effect of ‘Can we for a minute act like I’m not a teacher’ to a pupil(s).
Further allegations state the teacher ‘was alone on a bed with Pupil A and, when Pupil E entered the room, stated to Pupil E words to the effect of: ‘Technically I haven’t touched him yet’.
‘[You] were under the influence of alcohol to the point of being inebriated in the presence of pupils in the Premier Inn [and] had awareness that an ex pupil was in possession of drugs and did not report this to the appropriate authorities.’
Miss Tweedie allegedly danced inappropriately with pupils before sleeping with one of them, who was 18
David Nicholls today revealed that he drove to a Premier Inn in Glasgow to try and find Melissa Tweedie, 23 at the time, who allegedly had sex with a pupil, then 18
Miss Tweedie is also alleged to have told the headteacher at the school that she was at home when she was at the Premier Inn.
Police Scotland were alerted to the incident and investigated it at the time.
They found that no criminality had taken place.
Earlier, the ex-student, known only as Pupil A, gave evidence relating to a list of allegations made against teacher Miss Tweedie, telling the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) that he ‘felt sorry’ that she is now being investigated.
He said in a statement: ‘I had already handed in my leaver’s form. In my eyes it wasn’t a student event. This could have happened on a night out.’
Pupil A said he had drunk around three or four pints, a bottle of wine, some spirits, rum and shots before having sex with Miss Tweedie in his hotel room.
He claims Miss Tweedie, who now lives in Dubai and works as a yoga teacher, stayed the night in the room before leaving around 8am the following day.
Speaking at the GTCS hearing, Pupil A said: ‘We had no dealings prior to the prom. There were no relations before.
‘Miss Tweedie was sat at our table. Miss Tweedie was not drinking at the table, I was.’
After the prom students had booked rooms in a Premier Inn that was walking distance from SWG3.
Pupil A said: ‘I did not invite Miss Tweedie to the hotel. I don’t know how she got there.’
Pupil A said he entered a hotel room in the Premier Inn where he found nine pupils and Miss Tweedie.
He said there was a noise complaint to the room, adding: ‘Me and Miss Tweedie were the only two left in the room. We kissed, no one initiated it.
‘We went downstairs and had sex in my room. She stayed the night and we both left at eight.
‘I feel really sorry for Miss Tweedie, I had already handed in my leaver’s form. In my eyes it wasn’t a student event. This could have happened on a night out.’
The hearing continues.
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