A TEACHER was seen lying naked on top of a sixth year pupil at her home, a hearing was told.
Elizabeth Smillie, a music teacher in Renfrewshire, was also seen kissing and holding hands with the same girl at one of Scotland’s biggest family parks, it is alleged.
Ms Smillie was seen on other occasions holding hands in public with the 17-year-old, including after picking her up at a party, according to Scotland’s teaching watchdog.
The teacher faces a total of four allegations in front of the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) at a hearing in Edinburgh. They include two other pupils with whom she is said to have used Facebook and texts to conduct inappropriate relationships.
Ms Smillie was not present or represented at the hearing, but denies inappropriate conduct. If the charges are found proved she could be struck off the teaching register.
The hearing took evidence from Pupil B, a friend of Pupil C, the 17-year-old sixth year alleged to have been in a relationship with the teacher while she was working at Gleniffer High School, Paisley.
Pupil B told the panel she, another pupil, and Pupil C were at the teacher’s flat where they would sometimes drink alcohol.
Pupil B said: “I think it was June, or summer holidays. I think it was after the Blair Drummond trip.
“I walked into the room. I was looking for Pupil C. I opened the door and Elizabeth Smillie was naked on top of her.
“I could only see the teacher. It was incredibly awkward.
When asked by the panel how sure she could be about what she say, Pupil B said there “no doubt” that it was Miss Smillie and Pupil C in bed together.
She spoke of one incident where Miss Smillie turned up at a party to pick up pupil C.
She said: “She turned up at a party in her car. They were holding hands in the car.
“I was in the back in the middle. Pupil C was in the front, holding hands.”
She also spoke of an incident where she, Pupil C and Pupil D went on a trip to Blair Drummond’s Safari Park with Ms Smillie.
She said: “When we were waking about the park they were holding hands and kissing. ”
Miss Smillie is charged that in 2010/11 she engaged in an inappropriate relationship with Pupil A, 15 at the time, by sending a friend request on Facebook, asking her for her mobile telephone number, and using Facebook and texts to have “inappropriate conversations…of a personal and sexual nature”.
She is also accused of failing to inform colleagues about the pupil coming to school under the influence of alcohol.
She also met Pupil A outside school and kissed her, both happening when the girl was under the influence of alcohol, it is alleged.
Another set of charges, covering the 2011/12 school year, relate to Pupil C, then aged 17.
The teacher is alleged to have sent Pupil C a friend request on Facebook, given her her mobile number, and “engaged in inappropriate communication…of a personal and sexual nature using Facebook and texts.
According to the charges, the teacher repeatedly meet Pupil C outwith school hours when Pupil C was under the influence of alcohol and repeatedly engaged in inappropriate sexual activity with Pupil C.
The GTCS alleges that her fitness to teach is impaired and that she is unfit to teach.
A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: “We took immediate action as soon as we became aware of incidents taking place.
“The employee no longer works for the council.”
