A FORMER Ayrshire primary school teacher who performed sex acts in public places has been struck off.
David Buchanan-Smith was removed from the General Teaching Council (GTC) Scotland register following a hearing, the findings of which were published this month.
The matter was called before the watchdog after he pleaded guilty to a charge of public indecency at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
Buchanan-Smith admitted exposing his private parts and performing a sex act on himself, on various occasions between July 3 and September 23, 2024.
He committed the offence at Bellahouston Park, Braehead Shopping Centre and elsewhere.
Following his admissions, Buchanan-Smith was made subject to a community payback order with 12 months of social work supervision in September last year. He was not added to the sex offenders register.
The matter was heard at a GTC hearing after it was alleged that his fitness teacher may be impaired as a result of his conduct.
Buchanan-Smith was employed as a probationary teacher at Lainshaw Primary School in Stewarton when the matter came to light.
In a response provided to the hearing panel, the former educator advised that he was not currently teaching and was not actively looking to teach at present.
However, he expressed a wish to be able to teach again at "some point in the future".
Buchanan-Smith added that he regretted his actions and advised that he is currently undergoing counselling and engaging with social work to better manage his mental health and behaviours.
However, the GTC hearing panel determined that he was not fit to teach.
Documents said: "There appeared to the panel at least a disregard on the part of the teacher as to whether his behaviour would impact on members of the public or not.
"It remained of the view that the offences were serious and it accepted that they were sexually motivated.
"The panel was satisfied that this amounted to a serious breach of the Code of Professionalism and Conduct and that the teacher’s behaviour at the time fell short of the professional standards expected.
"The panel was of the view that there was no evidence before it to indicate that the teacher’s behaviour was remediable or had been remedied.
"That being the case the panel could not be satisfied that there would not be a recurrence of this behaviour. The panel determined that the teacher is unfit to teach."
As a result of the findings, Buchanan-Smith was removed from the GTC register.
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