This needs reporting so it can be investigated

What about females in the am dram group? How does he treat them?

When it ones to drama, the boundaries are sometimes less easy to maintain than with something like football. The nature of the activity is likely to be more intense and emotional-and the relationships deeper. all the more reason for the utmost clarity and rigidity of those boundaries.

I'm wondering why you initially posted about the 18 year old not the 14 year olds. Also, why are you even hesitating about reporting the 14 year olds to the head of the school concerned? It's either worrying or stupid and dangerous and either way needs to stop. My son is involved with school drama groups, and has to be (rightly) incredibly careful about both being and being seen to be being totally appropriate in his contact with the young people.

Comparing it to my son's football team, as an example, there is no way in hell the kids would sleep over at the coach's house - they wouldn't want to as he's their coach/boss and he definitely wouldn't want it as he sees enough of them as it is.
They will meet up in groups for pizza or to play extra games, in public, for set periods of time, but there is a line there because he's an adult and they are more or less children.

I just don't understand why any grown man would want 14 year old boys who aren't his to stay the night. Not only because it's clearly going to lead to rumours but because it would be such a hassle. Even school camps seem to be too much for a lot of teaching staff these days due to behavioural issues.

We know some men are interested in young boys/teenagers in a sexual way.

We know that.

to me, wanting to have them sleep at his house is a huge red flag and a blurring of boundaries that exist for very good reasons. These are children. And going for the ones who 'lack confidence' is another big fat red flag.

oh i didnt read your update about the 14 year olds, thats different

some of us married people 12 years younger or older

Change that to "straight man is interested in young girls "
How different would that be?

18 year olds can go to Blackpool with whoever they like, and they often do.

If a man involved with a school is bringing 14 year old boys home for sleepovers that is clearly a breach of safeguarding policies. You should inform the police that you have been told by (and name the person who told you) that this is happening. Name the school, name the old colleague, and make sure it is all done on the record. What they do with that is up to them, but if people are happy to spread rumours about this man, they should be happy to discuss that with the police if they are interested.

As per your update I agree it sounds concerning perhaps the safeguarding lead at the theatre can be told and they can look into it even if they just tell him to knock off the sleepovers and keep a distance with the obviously infatuated underage ones

I would be interested in responses if this was a straight male teacher inviting girls of 14 to stay over, befriending them young do once they were 18 taking them away to Blackpool.

Isn't this the definition of grooming?

Bit of a drip drip drip feed here op

That alone makes me dubious

And if someone in a teaching role is 'filtering' young people to a specific group outside of school where he is seen as a mentor-type person, then those underage young people are staying over night at his home then that has more red flags than a May Day Parade.

Both the group and the school safeguarding leads should be informed. At the very least, he needs to be told to stop the overnights to protect himself.

Given how careful teachers are about chaperoning each other these days, this detail either isn't true (by which I mean it's malicious gossip OP, not that you are lying) or he has incredibly poor judgement, or there's something going on.

I am always dubious of these kinds of rumours not because I don’t think these things ever happen, but because “gay man is interested in young boys” is such a cliche, and which so many homophobes trot out.

Nobody has any evidence it seems and no teenager has made any complaint.

It sounds horribly like small town gossip against someone because they happen to be gay.

An 18 year old is an adult.

I assume everyone who has concerns has had a chat with their teenage kids to make sure that nothing dodgy had happened?

I would stay out of it as this sounds like a witch hunt.

Is he a teacher? And the rumour is that he's having teenage boys stay over at his house? If you don't know if it's true or not, could you contact the safeguarding lead at his school & say that you've heard these rumours, don't know if it's true or not but felt like you should report it so they can investigate if necessary?

So are you alleging inappropriate behaviour with young people in his capacity as a teacher?

Under 18s should be reported to the safeguarding lead at the theatre and potentially the police.

18 and over are consenting adults and no one else's business.

What do the parents of the 14 yo want to do, have any of them approached the safeguarding team. He shouldn't be doing that but a 18 yo is different, he might be aware of the rumours so should gave the opportunity to explain.

Sometimes these situations can be approached by explaining to the teacher that his actions of allowing kids to stay at his house, are putting him at risk of false allegations.

But allowing teenage boys to stay over at his place is not helping his cause

If he is in a teaching post and encouraging kids under 16 to stay at his house and contacting them outside of his teaching role, then this is a safeguarding issue. There should be a designated safeguarding lead in the organisation - report to them or local safeguarding hub.

😂😂😂😂

I get what you're saying.

If they are rumours they need to stop because it's totally unfair to ruin someone's life over baseless gossip.

But if there is truth to it then the truth bit needs to stop because there are young children being harmed.

I'd call nspcc for advice because it can't be ignored that there may be child grooming occurring

I agree it sounds very creepy and is concerning as the young men may have been targetted for their vulnerability or naivety. But realistically what is there to disclose as its in the open anyway, who is there to report it to, and what is the actual premis of his 'official' wrong doing if the teens are over the age of consent? Sadly older men taking advantage of any power or status they have and misusing it to manipulate younger people into sex is nothing new, and almost impossible to prevent if no laws are broken. Hopefully given its not secretive this man's reputation will do the work and young men will avoid him.