A HEADTEACHER spent hundreds of pounds on meals and alcohol for staff that was intended to help troubled children, a hearing was told.
Karen Walker allegedly used two school cars at home and used them to commute, meaning staff ran up mileage on their own vehicles.
Miss Walker, head of the Inclusion Support Base (ISB) in North Lanarkshire, is also accused of employing her own daughter and personal gardener for jobs paid for by the council.
And Miss Walker is allegd to have hired her son Christopher for a graphics job, costing the council more than £10,000.
The teacher, who denies all the charges, appeared before a hearing of the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) in Edinburgh this week.
The hearing was told she introduced a voucher scheme to reward teenagers for good attendance but used £700-worth on uses “not connected to work”, including treats for teachers.
In an alleged bid to cover up the expenditure, Walker has been accused of telling staff to “create the impression” that pupils had attended meals when they had not.
Lynn McCrum, an internal auditor for North Lanarkshire Council, gave evidence stating how the council were tipped off by an anonymous letter.
She said: “There should have been records kept. It’s basic money management. We are of the opinion that council funds should not be used for gifts and hospitality.”
Walker’s representative, Jamie Foulis, asked if Ms McCrum had found anything showing that his client had used the vouchers for her own personal use, to which McCrum responded: “No, but there was no receipts so that’s open to interpretation.”
In regard to charges relating to Miss Walker employing her son, Ms McCrum said: “There’s graphics people within the council and there were no other quotes.
“For work totalling more than £10,000 you would think from an ethical point of view she would have got quotes given it was her son who ended up getting the job.
“There were no quotes obtained for the work undertaken.”
Ms Walker’s daughter was also hired in an administration role within the council and the head also employed her own gardener for jobs.
Other charges against the teacher state: “You pressurised colleagues to misuse school funds by paying for a staff meal using said funds, instructing a member of your staff to take action to create the impression that pupils had attended a staff meal when they had not.”
It is alleged that the head “did misuse two vehicles owned by the ISB by keeping said vehicles at your home address and using them to commute to work on a regular basis”.
This “forced staff to continue to use their own vehicles for which they continued to submit claims for mileage at extra cost to your employer”.
The hearing continues.
