THE SCOTTISH teaching regulator has accused a private school teacher of “ridiculing and assaulting” Ruth Davidson during YouTube rant.
Richard Lucas, a former physics teacher at £35,000-per-year Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, has been accused of making “homophobic” comments on a video he posted to his YouTube channel.
The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)’s presenting officer today claimed that Mr Lucas set out to “ridicule and assault” the Conservative MSP.
The former teacher, who is also leader of The Scottish Family Party, went on a rant about Ms Davidson having “fatherless children” back in 2018.
He yesterday stood by his comments and said that homosexual relationships were “undesirable”.
During the hearing today, presenting officer for the GTCS Jill Harris said: “The council believes that his statement about Ruth Davidson is inflammatory and that he views same sex couples as inferior.
“He attempts to ridicule and assault Ms Davidson in his video and in his video assaulted Ruth Davidson and same sex parents in general.
“He mocks Ruth Davidson because she doesn’t use condoms as she is in a same sex marriage.
Ms Harris continued: “You are intolerant of same sex parents and would discriminate them and their children.
“The council believes that the teacher would treat pupils of same sex marriages differently and his views are discriminatory.”
In his defence, Mr Lucas hit out at the GTCS branding them “incompetent” and “unfit”.
Speaking today he said: “I can’t see how any of these can be proved.
“The GTCS have rejected my case – I think the GTCS is not competent.
He then continued: “The GTCS is bias and unfit to perform its function.”
During this, he also affirmed his beliefs on homosexual relationships.
Mr Lucas said: “It is a view I hold, I feel homosexuality is not a positive thing.
“I think homosexuality is immoral and I think same sex marriage should be discouraged.
“Ruth Davidson encourages it, I discourage it.”
Mr Lucas faces being removed from the teaching register altogether following a complaint by a parent over a video he posted in April 2018.
Mr Lucas shared the video onto his YouTube channel titled “Ruth Davidson and the fatherless children”.
He captioned the 15-minute-clip: “Ruth Davidson wishes to normalise the production of fatherless children, does not value marriage, and follows the ABM childcare philosophy.”
In the video, Mr Lucas blasts the Conservative MSP for having a child saying: “They haven’t produced this baby together, this baby is the product of Ruth Davidson and a gentleman whose identity is a mystery to us.
“The important issue here is that this is the deliberate production of a fatherless child.”
He also says: “There is cause to be concerned about same sex marriage.”
Mr Lucas made reference to statistics published by American sociologist Mark Regenerus, he said: “The statistics always show worse outcomes for children from lesbian and gay parented households.”
Speaking to the panel on Monday, Mr Lucas said: “I admit to making the comments – I do not think that I am unfit to teach.”
Mr Lucas also took to his Facebook page on Saturday to defend his actions.
He said: “I still hold the views expressed in the “offending” video and I will continue to articulate these views regularly and publicly as I see fit.
“Whatever the outcome, I will immediately restate my views publicly and explicitly reject the right of GTCS to restrict my freedom of speech in this way.”
Ruth Davidson yesterday declined to comment.
The hearing continues.
