A Scottish teacher who faked cancer and her own death is back in the classroom, teaching children once more. The woman, identified as Lara Simpson, was previously struck off by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) for her elaborate deception. Simpson, known as 'Teacher F' in GTCS documents, spent over two years convincing colleagues, parents, and pupils that she was battling terminal leukaemia at a primary school in Dundee. She began her deception in May 2021, telling colleagues she had been diagnosed with cancer and was starting chemotherapy. Her lies escalated rapidly, including shaving her head and buying a wig to mimic the effects of treatment. She would disappear for days, claiming to be in intensive care, and sent detailed 'health updates' while posing as her own mother. The deception became more elaborate as she used crutches, a wheelchair, breathing tubes, and a prosthetic leg, claiming the cancer had spread and required an amputation. By early 2022, Simpson falsely told colleagues her cancer was incurable and doctors had given her just six months to live. She even gifted a bridesmaid dress to a child in her class, pretending to want to spend her 'final months' getting married. The web of lies reached a shocking climax when Simpson, posing as her aunt, claimed she had died after 'losing her battle with cancer' in an email to school staff on March 18, 2023. The ruse was uncovered months later when a former colleague spotted photos of her alive on a local Parkrun Facebook page. The GTCS concluded that Simpson had engaged in 'chronic and elaborate deception' and was 'unfit to teach', banning her from classrooms. Despite this, Simpson was reportedly found to be running a dance school, LAS Collective, for children as young as three, with parents unaware of her previous deception. One former colleague expressed shock and anger, stating that it was 'shocking' for her to still be working with children. Simpson denied everything when approached by the Mail on Sunday, saying only, 'That's not me.' The GTCS declined to comment on individual cases but warned that revealing the teacher's identity could 'undermine the fairness and integrity of the regulatory process' and 'cause real harm to both children and adults'.
