Head took 'revenge' on teacher after she became trade union rep

TRIBUNAL FINDS WELL-RESPECTED EMPLOYEE WAS UNFAIRLY SACKED AND DISCRIMINATED AGAINST

- NEAL KEELING

A WELL-RESPECTED senior teacher was unfairly sacked and discriminated against for 'trade union reasons, a tribunal has found.

Carmen Wood-Hope was employed at The Friars Primary School in Salford from 2014, having qualified three years earlier. She became a member of the school's senior leadership team as the school's Liaison and Cohesion lead, with responsibility for relations with parents and staff.

in An employment tribunal held over 10 days heard she was an excellent classroom teacher who had, March 2017, been recommended for and received an additional pay award to reflect her 'highly competent' performance.

But after she became the NUT, later NEU, workplace representative for teaching staff members at the school, she ended up being dismissed.

At the tribunal, the teacher claimed that she had been discriminated against by the school. And, in its judgement, a panel of three decided that she had been 'automatically unfairly dismissed for trade union reasons, after The Friars' headteacher, Michael Earnshaw, who held 'antipathy towards' her, had put in place a 'punitive' 'support plan.