Teacher who ‘had sex with pupil on prom night’ claims her drink was spiked

Melissa Tweedie faces being struck off the teaching register after a pupil claimed he had sex with her after his prom at SWG3 nightclub in Glasgow in June 2017. The 27-year-old is also alleged to have danced inappropriately with pupils from Gleniffer High School in Paisley, Renfrewshire.

Former colleagues claim Miss Tweedie was “shimmying up and down” the pupil, then aged in his late teens, at the event before allegedly bedding him at a nearby Premier Inn.

Susan Bell, Renfrewshire Council education manager, who investigated the claims at the time, gave evidence to the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) on Thursday.

She said Miss Tweedie told her she went to the hotel because she was alarmed about a pupil who allegedly had cocaine.

A statement from Miss Tweedie from that time reads: “I saw what appeared to be a bag of cocaine waved in my face. It was highly alarming and that is why I did not go home with my flatmate.

“I should have walked back to tell the other staff and I should have called the police.”

In the statement, Miss Tweedie notes that pupils were saying: “Miss, come upstairs for a drink, it’ll only be one.”

She relayed being given one glass of Echo Falls white wine by a girl.

Her statement continued: “The next part that is clear is jolting up in the bed. I can’t see any face in my memory but I woke up and said what are you doing here?”

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Miss Bell told the GTCS: “[Miss Tweedie] had come to the conclusion that her drink had been spiked and that she would not have engaged in sexual intercourse as it was her time of the month.”

She added: “I do believe she was very remorseful. She was upset during the hearing. It is a horrible position for anyone to find themselves in. I do believe she regretted what happened.

“She didn’t feel she had been inappropriate at the prom. Others didn’t agree but my understanding was that she felt she had been behaving appropriately.

“When she mentioned the drugs it was totally out of left field, nobody else had mentioned that, I was knocked sideways and had to think on my feet how to move.

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“I thought it sounded ludicrous and I had to consider all the facts and that is what I was doing.”

The Daily Record reported Miss Bell as saying: “She was upset and embarrassed but she denied having sex. It was a matter of fact denial. It was an adamant denial.”

Miss Tweedie, who works as a yoga teacher in Dubai, faces being struck off the register by the GTCS following the allegations.

David Nicholls, former Gleniffer High School headteacher, said on Wednesday that he received a call at about 2am on prom night from an alarmed pupil who said Miss Tweedie was in the hotel with a student.

Now-retired, Mr Nicholls drove to a Premier Inn in Glasgow to track down Miss Tweedie. However, the hearing heard he was not allowed past the foyer.

He told the panel he managed to reach Miss Tweedie on the phone and she told him she was at home.

However, the next day Mr Nicholls said the pupil who was in the room admitted sleeping with the PE teacher.

The pupil, referred to only as Pupil A, has already given evidence, saying: “I did not invite Miss Tweedie to the hotel. I don’t know how she got there.”

On allegedly going to his hotel room with the teacher, Pupil A said: “Me and Miss Tweedie were the only two left in the room. We kissed. No one initiated it. We went downstairs and had sex in my room. She stayed the night and we both left at eight.

“I feel really sorry for Miss Tweedie. I had already handed in my leavers form. In my eyes it wasn’t a student event.”

Police Scotland was alerted to the incident at the time and found that no criminality had taken place.

The hearing continues.