DEVONPORT High School for Girls has been branded as a potentially unsafe place for men to work, after a teacher was unfairly sacked when girl students made dubious allegations he sexually assaulted them.
Maths and computing teacher Jonathan Hawker lost his job and was arrested by police who raided his home and seized his laptop, phone and other electronic equipment, after girls said he had inappropriately touched them in class.
But police and crown prosecutors dropped the charges, saying there was no chance of a conviction. Mr Hawker, who denied all the "career-ending" allegations and had an unblemished disciplinary record before they were made, was still sacked for gross misconduct.
He took the grammar school to an employment tribunal, which found the investigation was flawed and unfair to him and based on doubtful evidence.
It did not give sufficient weight to the statements of two girl students who said the teacher's accusers had told them they "tried to get Mr Hawker fired for fun" by saying he had touched their thighs and sexually assaulted them. Employment Judge Street awarded Mr Hawker £44,868, after the tribunal found he had been unfairly dismissed.
Denne historien er fra June 21, 2023-utgaven av The Herald.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 21, 2023-utgaven av The Herald.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
HATCH BENEFITS FROM THE MISFORTUNE OF TEAM-MATES
Randell relishing his new role for Pilgrims
MIDFIELDER IS LEARNING A LOT UNDER HEAD COACH ROONEY
McPhee delighted with the response of Parkway players
IT was the former Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, who famously said that a week is a long time in politics.
Making a song and dance of it
JOAQUIN PHOENIX AND LADY GAGA UNITE FOR A JOKER SEQUEL WHICH DITCHES THE FIRST FILM'S BLOOD, GORE AND ACTION FOR A MORE MELODIC APPROACH
Historic 'house of pleasure' is to be restored
A GEORGIAN 'pleasure house' in the grounds of Mount Edgcumbe Country Park is to undergo a restoration and revival.
Law change plan for assisted dying
PROPOSALS to change the law to give terminally ill people \"choice at the end of life\" are to be introduced in Parliament this month.
Jenrick claim blasted
SAS: Who Dares Wins star Mark \"Billy\" Billingham has said Robert Jenrick's claim that the special forces are \"killing rather than capturing\" terrorists is \"absolutely ridiculous\".
Israeli order to evacuate
THE Israeli military yesterday ordered the evacuation of villages and towns in southern Lebanon that are north of a United Nationsdeclared buffer zone established after the 2006 war.
Prison sentence for sex offender
INDECENT IMAGES OF CHILDREN DISCOVERED
MP to join Warrior Women Walk
EVENT SUPPORTS DOMESTIC ABUSE VICTIMS