Special-needs pupil claims teacher had sex with her

A MARRIED guidance teacher had sex with a 15-year-old special needs pupil in school classrooms at least twice a week, it is alleged.

Martin Grant is said to have locked his classroom door before the sex sessions, some of which are claimed to have happened in a cupboard.

Mr Grant, a teacher at Annan Academy, Dumfries and Galloway, is alleged to have seduced the girl and conducted the affair for much of her fourth year.

The technology teacher denies the sex claims but has admitted a charge of sending texts to the girl and to being in a locked classroom with her.

Mr Grant appeared before a disciplinary hearing of the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) this week charged with having sex with the pupil on various occasions in a classroom and other locations between February 2009 and May 2009. He is also charged with using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices towards the pupil in September 2008 and various occasions in January 2009.

It is also alleged that he sent text messages to the pupil between October 2008 and August 2009 despite being told not to.

Mr Grant admits sending text messages in March 2009 and occasions after that but not before.

The girl, who is now aged 19 and has Asperger’s Syndrome, was referred to at the hearing as Pupil A and gave evidence from behind a screen.

She told the hearing the affair started in 2008 when she was in fourth year in school.

Pupil A explained that Mr Grant was her guidance teacher throughout her four years of school.

She said he first touched and kissed her in November 2008.

Following the kiss, Pupil A said she left and met her friends for lunch but did not tell anyone about what had happened.

Pupil A told the hearing she first slept with the teacher in February 2009.

She said that their sexual relationship carried on until May 2009 when she left school.

Pupil A said during that time they had sex more than twice a week and in various classrooms throughout the school, including the cupboard in his classroom.

She said that they would meet up during every interval and lunchtime and during some free periods as well.

She said: “When Mr Grant wasn’t teaching I was usually with him.”

When asked how many times they would have sex she said: “More than once or twice a week. Whenever the rooms were free so it would vary from day to day.”

Niall McLean told Pupil A: “Mr Grant accepts that he was in a locked classroom with you.”

She replied: “We would leave the key in the door so that nobody could get in. We would always do that if we were going to have sex.”

Asked about the nature of the text messages she received, Pupil A said: “We would just talk and he would tell me that he loved me.”

Eventually, one of Pupil A’s friends found out about the affair and the girl decided, in August 2009, to tell teachers.

“I was just starting to get to the point where I thought he was strange,” she said. “I feel sick looking back now.”

Hazel Gordon, representing Mr Grant, asked Pupil A why she had never told anyone about the affair.

She replied: “It’s just not something you go around telling people. It’s private.”

The hearing continues.