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A Scottish religious education teacher has been fired for having an inappropriate relationship with a student less than half his age with whom he married and had children.
Gavin Dunsmuir, now 50, was revealed to have formed a relationship with Megan Reid in 2015 while working at Largs Academy in North Ayrshire.
The former teacher left his wife Shona and moved in with Miss Reid, now 25, before marrying her last year and having two children together.
Dunsmuir’s ex-wife Shona said in 2018 – after she broke up – that she became suspicious after their young daughter told her, “Mom, do you know Daddy has a new girlfriend?”
She said she believed his relationship with Miss Reid went beyond Gavin being “just a mentor,” as one of his colleagues told her they “spent a lot of time together over lunch.” Daily record reported at the time.
Miss Reid’s father Donald Reid, 62, told a tribunal that their relationship left him “disturbed” and led to his son being bullied.
Dunsmuir has now been removed from the education register after an investigation into the couple’s relationship was launched by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).
Gavin Dunsmuir (right), now 50, was revealed to have formed a relationship with student Megan Reid (left) in 2015 while employed by Largs Academy in North Ayrshire
The former teacher left his wife and moved in with Miss Reid, now 25, before marrying her last year and having two children together
Gavin Dunsmuir left his ex-wife Shona (pictured) for Miss Reid (pictured on their wedding day)
Teacher Gavin Dunsmuir (left) and Megan Reid (right) taken during their time together at Largs Academy in Ayrshire
Ex-wife Shona Dunsmuir (pictured) became suspicious after their daughter asked, “Mom, do you know Daddy has a new girlfriend?”
Dunsmuir (pictured left and right) and his former apprentice Miss Reid married last year, with images of the two on their wedding day shared on their social media accounts
Gavin Dunsmuir, 50, was revealed to be dating Megan Reid in 2015 while working at Largs Academy (pictured) in North Ayrshire
He is also said to have visited a cafe with Miss Reid and other young people between March and August 2015, when she would have been 17 or 18.
Dunsmuir is also accused of taking Miss Reid to a colleague’s house and giving her time in the company of his daughter.
The GTCS said today: ‘The panel found that teacher behavior falls significantly below the standards expected of a registered teacher and is therefore unfit to teach.
‘The panel must order that his name be removed from the teacher register.’
The GTCS has been investigating Dunsmuir since 2018. The hearing reconvened this week to hear further evidence from a former colleague and Miss Reid’s father.
In his statement, given to the GTCS in 2017, Mr Reid explained how he felt after discovering that his daughter was in a relationship with Dunsmuir.
He said: ‘I am very concerned about the situation. When people ask about my daughter, I have a hard time not telling them she ran off with her teacher.
“I’d like to make it clear that I only found out through a fourth match because when I looked at the computer, I couldn’t see anything that could worry me.
“I saw two cards in her room, one was a birthday card and one was for leaving school.
“She had been given tickets from other teachers that were appropriate, which were not appropriate from Mr Dunsmuir.
‘He had referred to her as Meg Mog [in the card].
‘I called Heather Burns’ [Largs Academy headteacher] and made my feelings clear, she confirmed that the teacher under investigation was allegedly involved with Megan.
Dunsmuir is said to have visited a pub with schoolgirl Megan Reid (pictured) and other young people between March and August 2015.
The GTCS has been investigating Dunsmuir (right) about his relationship with former student Megan Reid (left) since 2018 – as at the hearing that reconvened this week to hear further evidence from a former colleague and Reid’s father
“She said the reason I wasn’t informed was because Megan was over 16, I felt I was and still am Megan’s father, and to find out through tittle-tattle that I was poor.
“I remember the statement that Megan had dinner with Mr Dunsmuir, I remember thinking why he took the time to come over to Largs and see Megan.
“I thought I was close to my daughter, but the way she reacted to me when I asked her about her statement made me think otherwise.
“I was offered and accepted a copy of Megan’s statement, I’ve always told my kids the truth.
“I remember there was a question asking if Megan had ever been alone with Mr Dunsmuir and she said no.
“Megan accused me of treating her like someone at work – this happened at 9:45 pm, she told me to mess around four times in a row and left the window because I took her house keys.
He added: “Megan has a younger brother who was bullied by the whole situation.
“Her mother had made it clear that she is not happy with the situation, but does not want to lose her daughter.”
“When people ask about my daughter, I have a hard time not telling them she ran off with her teacher,” said Megan’s (pictured with a rabbit) father Donald Reid
The GTCS also heard from Pauline Hughes, a former senior lecturer of RE at Largs Academy, who said, “I remember the door viewing panel was covered with a flag.
“It was spelled over the glass. I entered the room and it was very clear that I had interrupted them.
“They sat on the other side of the table with their heads together.
“I was a bit in shock or denial.
“I just didn’t want to think that something unpleasant was going on — I was wrong, I should have been proactive and got that little girl out.”
The couple’s relationship came to light after they were spotted in the Lounge pub in Largs, North Ayrshire, by a fellow teacher at the school.
The off-duty teacher raised the alarm, saying that his body language with the student made them “seem like a couple.”
Dunsmuir did not attend any part of the hearing and did not arrange legal representation on his behalf.