Sexually harassed teacher answers pleas for help from fellow victims

A TEACHER who won a landmark case after she was harassed by pupils in an all-boys school has been inundated with calls from others suffering a similar fate.

Sinead Murray, 29, was one of two female teachers who was sexually harassed by pupils in De La Salle College in Wicklow. Students wrote sexually explicit comments about Ms Murray in their copy books. Sexually suggestive graffiti was also scrawled on the school walls.

She and an un-named colleague were also groped in the corridor by unruly pupils. However, when she complained to school bosses, she was labelled a troublemaker and her weekly hours were slashed from 21 to five.

The former religion teacher, who is now a resource teacher in Bray, has urged others who are being harassed to come forward.

“If I had my time over again, I still would have taken the case. It was something which was very tough to do, but I would advise a teacher in a similar situation to mine to do the same. I don’t regret it.

“I’ve been contacted by other teachers, both in my union, the ASTI, and the TUI. They’ve phoned me and have said they are in a very similar situation. I’ve advised them to do what I did, to stand up and take a case,” she said yesterday.

Ms Murray was awarded 20,000 for being sexually harassed and a further 13,000 for constructive dismissal in the landmark Labour Court ruling which has forced schools to take complaints by staff more seriously.

The court found that, having received complaints, the school failed to take sufficient measures to prevent further harassment. The Labour Court also ruled De la Salle College discriminated against her and effectively dismissed her by cutting her hours. It also said a reasonable employer would not have behaved as the school did when she made her complaint.