Teachers at top drama schools ‘groped students breasts made them rehearse naked’ in horrifying sex scandal
TEACHERS at some of the UK’s top drama schools groped students and made them rehearse naked, it’s alleged.
Former pupils claim tutors grabbed female students’ breasts, made sexual comments and pressurised them to take their clothes off during performances.
Reports of “chilling” abuses at some prestigious schools emerged weeks after concerns were raised against actor Noel Clarke, who is accused of bullying and sexually harassing women.
Mr Clarke, whose BAFTA award was suspended after accusations surfaced, has apologised “deeply” for his actions.
He “vehemently” denied sexual misconduct or criminal behaviour.
One of the most serious allegations to emerge in recent weeks about the treatment of students involves the Guildford School of Acting (GSA), the Telegraph reports.
A woman in her 20s who was training at the college claimed a visiting teacher sexually assaulted her at her home in 2018.
When the student and her friend complained, they were allegedly told nothing could be done unless the victim said exactly what kind of response she wanted from the school.
The visiting teacher was dismissed after the students complained to another teacher. He denies any assault.
Former students who attended the school in the late 90s and 2015 have also described how teachers pressured them to appear naked on stage and in acting exercises, and topless in rehearsals.
Meanwhile, students from East 15 drama school, which is part of Essex University, told the publication teachers had made sexual comments to them during classes.
One woman said she and others felt they had to agree to perform naked or in their underwear.
Another school – The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (Alra) – said that it had launched an investigation into allegations that a former teacher had sexually harassed students.
The school, which counts actress Miranda Hart among its alumni, is understood to have received allegations about sexual harassment by a former teacher.
And students who attended The Poor School in London, which shut in 2018, also said that they suffered bad experiences at the hands of Paul Caister, who ran the school.
Danielle Lautier, who studied there between October 2011 and May 2013, alleged he grabbed her breasts, while others claim he bullied them and called them “c***s”.
Emma Happisburgh, who attended the school in the late 90s and now works as an actor, said the students “lived in fear” of the teacher’s temper.
Helen Raw, of the British Actors Network, said hundreds of actors say they were bullied, assaulted or sexually harassed at drama school or while at work as part of a new survey.
“They vary in seriousness, from bullying and gaslighting all the way up to stories of people putting hidden cameras in dressing rooms and in digs, sexual assault, stalking, harassment and rape,” she said.
Mr Caister said allegations about “grabbing” women’s bodies were “invented”, he had not bullied any students and offensive language was not used aggressively.
Most read in News
A spokesperson for Alra said that they had a “zero -tolerance policy towards sexual harassment and bullying” and took all complaints “seriously”.
GSA is part of the University of Surrey. A spokesman said that they were “concerned to hear these reports” and that they would look into the issues raised.
A spokesperson for E15 said they were “sorry for any distress experienced by students in the past” and that they “do not tolerate harassment and bullying of any kind”.