THOMAS DOCHERTY STRUCK OFF IN LINLITHGOW AFTER SEXUAL MISCONDUCT WITH TEENAGE STUDENT

In January 2015, a former teacher at Linlithgow Academy faced severe professional consequences after engaging in inappropriate and illegal conduct involving a teenage student. Thomas John Docherty, who taught chemistry at the school, was found to have sent explicit photographs of his genitals to a sixth-year pupil, identified only as Pupil A. The situation escalated when Docherty received a photograph of the girl in return, an exchange that was brought to light during a disciplinary hearing.

Docherty’s misconduct did not end with the exchange of explicit images. After being suspended from his teaching duties in January 2013, the 29-year-old teacher took further steps to maintain contact with the student. He arranged to meet her outside of school hours, took her for a drive, and kissed her. During the hearing, it was revealed that Docherty also expressed love for his partner, perhaps attempting to justify or downplay his inappropriate actions.

The hearing, conducted by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) in Edinburgh, concluded that Docherty was unfit to continue teaching and subsequently banned him from the classroom. The case was particularly sensitive, with Pupil A providing her evidence privately. It was disclosed that she had shown messages to an ex-pupil at the school, indicating the extent of the communication and the concern surrounding Docherty’s conduct.

Linda Forrest, the deputy head at Linlithgow Academy, provided a statement describing the nature of the messages exchanged. She confirmed that Docherty had sent a photograph of his genitals to Pupil A, who had also shown him a photograph of herself. Forrest expressed her shock at the content, describing one of the texts as sexually graphic, well-written, but highly inappropriate for a teacher-student relationship. She recounted that Docherty was suspended on January 21, 2013, and during a subsequent meeting, he appeared shocked and silent, describing the incident as “unbelievable.” Forrest advised him to collect his belongings and refrain from contacting pupils.

Despite this warning, Docherty defied the instructions and arranged a meeting with the girl on March 8. During this encounter, he took her for a drive, professed his love for his partner, kissed her, and suggested that they could be together once the situation settled. These actions demonstrated a continued pattern of misconduct, breaching the suspension and engaging in further inappropriate contact.

Docherty faced a total of eight charges before the GTCS, all of which were proven. These charges included engaging in inappropriate communications with a pupil, sending sexual remarks, and sharing images of himself in a state of undress. He was also accused of arranging to meet the pupil outside school and breaching his suspension by contacting her on three separate occasions, urging her to delete all Facebook messages and text exchanges.

Gillian Sim, the case presenter, noted that Pupil A’s testimony was clear and detailed, emphasizing that her evidence was credible and difficult to fabricate. Docherty did not attend the hearing and was not represented during the proceedings. It was revealed that he had previously issued a blanket denial of the charges.

Following the evidence, the panel unanimously found all allegations against Docherty to be proven. John Fitzpatrick, the panel chairman, stated that as a result of these findings, Docherty was deemed unfit to teach and was ordered to be removed from the GTCS teaching register. Despite his suspension, Docherty’s Facebook page remained accessible to the public, featuring posts such as an image of Yoda from Star Wars with the caption, “Stupid you are. Breed you should not.”

As of the time of reporting, Docherty had not responded to requests for comment regarding the case. The case highlights the serious breach of trust and professional standards that led to his removal from the teaching profession in Linlithgow.