East Lothian schools Gmail incident ‘not the result of hacking’

Author: Paul ReillyPublished 25th Sep 2025

East Lothian Council says pupils - not hackers - were behind a large email chain that spread inappropriate content through school Gmail accounts.

The authority confirmed the system was not externally compromised, but misused by children and young people.

Pupil accounts have been suspended and the emails are being recalled.

In a message to parents and carers, the council said the material breached acceptable use policies and that processes are being reviewed to prevent a repeat.

Staff are offering support to anyone affected, while parents are being encouraged to discuss online behaviour with their children.

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