Parents say council 'covered up' teacher's abuse

Linda McCall was found guilty of assaulting five pupils at a school for children with learning difficulties

The parents of vulnerable children with severe learning difficulties have accused a council of "covering up" a catalogue of violent classroom attacks.

Teacher Linda McCall was last week found guilty at Selkirk Sheriff Court of assaulting five pupils between August 2016 and October 2017.

The youngsters are autistic, non-verbal and were aged between five and seven years old at the time.

The law prevents the publication of any information which may identify them.

Five parents of the pupils involved have told BBC Scotland of the "life-changing trauma" inflicted on their families.

One mother said her son had tried to harm himself while another father said he lived with guilt which had driven him to the point of depression.

Another parent told how McCall pulled her son along the floor violently.

"My son was crying uncontrollably," they said. "He was very scared to go to school and was hiding his uniform."

"It makes me sick to the stomach that someone could do this to a vulnerable little boy," another mother told the BBC.

The parent of a boy at the school said: "She dragged him by one arm from the PE hall back to the classroom before forcing him into a chair."

The allegations against McCall first emerged in 2017. The teacher was placed on a period of paid leave while Scottish Borders Council carried out an internal investigation.

BBC Scotland has obtained a document from 2018 in which one parent was given assurances by the council that the abuse accusations against McCall "did not affect" her son in any way.

The email states the local authority's "thorough" investigation had resulted in "no further action" against McCall. The woman's son was later confirmed as a victim in McCall's criminal conviction.

Each of the five parents who have spoken to the BBC claim the council failed to inform them their children were victims. They describe first learning of the abuse from Police Scotland when criminal proceedings were later initiated.

One parent said: "They told us categorially that not one child had been harmed. They were trying to make out that it was just the parents making a fuss out of nothing. We weren't believed."

Another parent said: "It was being swept under the carpet and the council was closing ranks. No-one was listening to us. To me it looks like someone was covering up for people."

One mother said senior education officials told her "nothing happened" and it was "all a misunderstanding".

She continued: "My boy is still so anxious and distressed. He is frightened she (McCall) is coming back".

'The blame lies with the council'

Christine Grahame, SNP MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, has called for an independent inquiry into Scottish Borders Council's handling of this case.

She said: "The parents were not taken seriously when they came forward and the council should not have been allowed to investigate itself. I find it hard to believe that no-one realised the teacher was out of her depth and needed support.

"The consequence has been that vulnerable children have been left with lasting damage and trauma. The special needs of the children make this case particularly distressing, as they cannot advocate for themselves and are not able to understand what's happened to them or why. Their families are left to pick up the pieces.

"The blame lies at the door of Scottish Borders Council and they must now answer for it. This case has not been handled at all well at any stage."

A spokesman for Scottish Borders Council said: "The safety and wellbeing of young people in our schools is paramount. Any concerns are treated very seriously and there are robust policies and procedures in place to ensure they are properly addressed. All of our practices are kept under constant review.

"We cannot comment on individual employee-related matters."

The families have now launched civil proceedings against Scottish Borders Council.

Marina Urie, from Thompsons Solicitors who represents those involved, said: "These children were utterly failed by their local authority which is meant to protect them.

"Scottish Borders Council, I believe, led a full-scale cover up. I will be raising separate Court of Session actions in Edinburgh where the full cost of these appalling and shocking events will be assessed."

Sentence deferred

The BBC has learned Linda McCall's husband Kevin is a senior member of the council's education department. Scottish Borders Council said the internal probe was moved to another, independent department - due to the potential conflict of interest.

The authority explained Kevin McCall had no involvement whatsoever with the investigation of his wife.

On this matter, a spokesman for the council said: "The internal investigation was remitted to a suitably qualified professional outwith the education service to ensure independence and impartiality and we can confirm that Kevin McCall was in no way involved in the investigation process."

The General Teaching Council for Scotland said it could not comment on individual cases.

Linda McCall's sentencing hearing has been deferred until July for the production of background reports.