Teacher Faked Cancer Death, Ran Dance School

A dance instructor, Lara Simpson, 26, has recently canceled her classes after a deceptive scheme involving faking cancer and her own death was exposed. For two years, Simpson meticulously misled primary school staff and students in Dundee, employing a wheelchair, wigs, and a breathing tube to support her fabricated illness. She even created a fake charity video and informed her pupils about fictional treatments.

Simpson's elaborate deception culminated in March 2023 when she posed as her own aunt to announce her supposed death from cancer, instructing colleagues to send gifts to a forwarding address. However, she was later spotted at a running event, unraveling her fabricated demise. Despite being struck off the teaching register by the General Teaching Council for Scotland, she subsequently opened a dance school in Thurso, Caithness, utilizing a primary school venue.

Following media reports that revealed her identity and activities, Simpson has ceased her adult fitness and children's dance sessions. She also had a connection with Caithness Klics, a charity supporting children who are carers, but the organization has confirmed her departure. The situation has prompted an inquiry from a parent to the local council regarding how Simpson could continue teaching vulnerable children.