Three Court of Session judges are expected to give their reasons within the next few days for upholding a teacher’s appeal against expulsion after he was convicted of a homosexual offence.
John Murphy, aged 31, who taught drama at Claremont High School in East Kilbride, won his appeal last week against the General Teaching Council’s decision to expel him.
Graham Bell, QC, for Mr Murphy, told the Court of Session that the teacher had been denied natural justice in that the GTC’s disciplinary committee were told Mr Murphy had received a police warning five years ago but he was given no chance to dispute the claim.
The warning and the circumstances behind it were not part of the grounds on which he had been referred to the committee and Mr Murphy was not called on to admit or deny the allegations. Mr Murphy, of Govanhill, Glasgow, was fined Pounds 250 after he admitted committing a homosexual act with two adults in a city lane.
