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Spotted by students on a night out- worried

72 replies

PopAndLock · 16/04/2018 09:04

I've name-changed because this might be outing.

Saturday night I went on a big night out with friends. We were all dressed up in skimpy skirts, hot pants, tops etc.

There wasn't any particularly terrible behaviour (no fights) but we were being noisy in the kebab shop, dancing on the podium, dirty dancing with random guys, posing for stupid pictures etc.

I'm an academic and a group of my students saw me- they were in the same club as me.

I waved but we didn't speak all night. I only spotted them towards the end of the night so no idea how long they were in there.

Now I'm worried that they might say something to my Head of Department. They might have taken pictures. Can I get into trouble for this?

Our policy just says something along the lines of not doing anything to bring the University into disrepute and act appropriately when in public representing the University.

Or am I worrying over nothing?

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MrPottergaveDobbyaSock · 16/04/2018 09:07

I think this depends what age your students are? If you’re an a-level teacher i’d be concerned but if you’re teaching undergrads I doubt they’d say anything.

Why on earth did you wave at them? Confused common sense would suggest diving under the table and trying not to exist until they leave!

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PopAndLock · 16/04/2018 09:09

I teach undergraduates. These were first years.

I waved because a couple of them waved to me. I couldn't place them at first because they were out of context then I realised they were first year students. Plus, I was drunk!

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FleeceDetective · 16/04/2018 09:10

I think it's the kind of behaviour that has definitely in the past been filed under bringing the organisation into disrepute, yes.

It may/may not come to anyone relevants attention though, so there's not a lot you can do now.

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merrygoround51 · 16/04/2018 09:17

I really don't see how this could be viewed as bringing your organisation into disrepute.

You did nothing illegal or even anything that might be viewed as immoral!

If you had got off with a random guy publically or indeed got into a fight then you might have an issue but all you did was embarrass yourself.

Can I ask what age you are?
If you are sub 30 then its not even really embarrassing yourself.

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FleeceDetective · 16/04/2018 09:24

It's the kind of thing that if a video of yourself being Lairy and pole dancing in a kebab shop went viral, and your profession became known may cause an investigation.

Rightly or wrongly, it is a possibility.

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merrygoround51 · 16/04/2018 09:29

Investigation into what Fleece - being drunk. OP didn't say pole dancing but even at that I don't think there is any cause for concern re losing your job.

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PopAndLock · 16/04/2018 09:29

I'm 29

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PopAndLock · 16/04/2018 09:33

We were dancing on the podium. The podium had a pole but I'm not flexible or fit enough to attempt it nowadays!

Everyone took turns up on the podium (everyone who was in the club I mean, not just our group) so it's not like my group were hogging it all night.

We were just having a laugh in the kebab shop. There was a bit of whole-shop singing, we were having a joke with other people in the shop the just having a chat while we ate our kebabs- just pretty standard Saturday night out for young women.

I should say a big Saturday night out is very very rare for me nowadays.

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WatcherintheRye · 16/04/2018 09:34

not doing anything to bring the University into disrepute and act appropriately when in public representing the University.

You're not 'bringing the University into disrepute' or 'representing the University in public' when you're on a night out, and enjoying yourself, surely? As pp have said, you didn't do anything illegal or get arrested for lewd behaviour!

Now, if you went to an academic conference, got rat-arsed in the middle of the day, and danced naked on the stage, that might be a different matter!

You are allowed a life, op Smile

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merrygoround51 · 16/04/2018 09:34

Ok Pop I think you need to chill on this. Think out worst case scenario

Video goes viral around Uni
Uni approach you about behaviour
You point out that you did nothing illegal/immoral and actually you were filmed without your consent. Uni pissed off but ultimately nothing they can do.
You force students to take down video.
Storm blows over.

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merrygoround51 · 16/04/2018 09:36

And that is the absolute worst case scenario and it wont happen.

You are 29, enjoy yourself and fuck the moral police

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FleeceDetective · 16/04/2018 09:36

Basically yes merry, being publicly drunk is something Ive known nurses/teaching staff/police to be investigated for if it's ever come to managements attention.

The likelihood is that it won't do, but it's not impossible.

I don't support that thinking by the way, but I understand that 'bringing an organisation into disrepute' is not about breaking the law, more anything that great aunt Phyllis might scrunch her nose up to and think was inappropriate of a certain profession.

Going forward for yourself op, I'd still enjoy myself but just be aware of how your behaviour would look in a daily mail article/video of yourself.

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PopAndLock · 16/04/2018 09:38

@WatcherintheRye

I completely agree. After all, everyone on our night out worked for one organisation or another- we weren't all bringing our workplaces into disrepute surely!

However, general drunkenness has been used in other cases as evidence of bringing a workplace into disrepute.

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PopAndLock · 16/04/2018 09:41

Thanks @merrygoround51

@FleeceDetective Going forward for yourself op, I'd still enjoy myself but just be aware of how your behaviour would look in a daily mail article/video of yourself

I see where you're coming from but when I see those articles about drunken people in the DM I do just tend think "So what? Young people having a good time, good for them". I understand that pearl-clutchers of Middle England see something very different though!

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Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 16/04/2018 09:41

I've heard of a deputy HT being suspended when he was filmed (by his own students) drunkenly brawling in the street. Not sure whether he was reinstated or not, but it was definitely taken seriously.
I appreciate you weren't actually brawling, but I hope they didn't film you...

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FleeceDetective · 16/04/2018 09:43

I tend to agree with you op, the trouble is the pear clutchers do like to complain and do tend to carry some sway in certain circles.

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GertieMotherwell · 16/04/2018 09:44

I think it’s fine.
They’re adults. You’re an adult. You weren’t doing anything illegal.
If anything, it may increase your popularity amongst the students Grin

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clumsyduck · 16/04/2018 09:46

God Iv behaved far worse than this on actual work nights out when I was younger Blush

Luckily for everyone I rarely go out these days !

Don't worry op I don't think you've done anything wrong anyway

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Staying · 16/04/2018 09:46

Well if they call you in for any disciplinary action you could always point out that you were showing a group of undergraduates that becoming an academic doesn't mean you become wear tweed and get all stuffy. Far from bringing the uni into disrepute, you were advertising a career! After all, the ones who saw you were in a place having fun - shared interests!

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Juells · 16/04/2018 09:46

You're an adult. Your night out is your own.

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Morphene · 16/04/2018 09:48

I can't imagine this being an issue. If you were in an actual fight, or totally out of control drunk it might be different, but dancing is fine.

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Mummyoflittledragon · 16/04/2018 09:48

You weren’t brawling. Just being silly. I also think it may increase your kudos amongst the students. They’re all adults afterall. I really don’t see how you were possibly representing the university at the time.

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3stonedown · 16/04/2018 09:49

I think if it was a big night out it's likely the students were drunk enough to not remember seeing you...

Or if they say "ohh did I see you sat night?", laugh and say no I don't think so.

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misscph1973 · 16/04/2018 09:50

I can absolutely understand why you are concerned, but don't worry. Surely your students have better things to do than gossip about you?

I'm a former teacher, and all of my family are teachers. My dad taught what's similar to senior years in grammar school in my native country, and he made a point of not living in the same town as his school, not going to the swimming pool or any pubs/clubs/restaurants in that town to avoid bumping into this students in any situation that could lead to gossip. I always thought that made a lot of sense.

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elisaveta · 16/04/2018 09:52

I'm an academic. I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell you would get into any trouble - I can't see where you've done anything wrong. I speak as one who lives under the conviction of trouble being round the next corner, but in this instance, I really think you're fine.

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