Teacher gets €5,000 for discrimination

A TEACHER who was discriminated against because of her age in an interview for a deputy principal’s job has been awarded €5,000 by the Equality Tribunal.

The complaint was made by Margaret O’Neill, who was 48 when she applied for the post at St Gabriel’s national school, Ballyfermot in Dublin in September 2000. She said she was asked by the interview board chairman: “Considering that you have been teaching for 27 years, why would you now be bothered with the hassle of the job of deputy principal?”

When she referred to her attendance at an education management course in Trinity College the previous year, the independent member of the board said the course had been undertaken “only last summer.”

Ms O’Neill believed these comments were a clear reference to her age and that the panel felt she had left it too late in life to seek such a post. The successful candidate is under 30 years old and had seven years of service at the time of the competition.

Ms O’Neill said she believed she was more experienced and that she was discriminated against on age grounds when she was turned down for the job.

The school argued the alleged comment was not made in the manner indicated, and said older candidates had been appointed in the past.

The matter was initially referred to an arbitration board, which directed the candidates be re-interviewed. The same person was selected the second time, which prompted Ms O’Neill to bring the case to the Equality Tribunal.

In his report last month, equality officer Raymund Walsh found there was no discrimination at the second interview. But he found the school board did discriminate against Ms O’Neill on the grounds of her age when she was asked a discriminatory question at the first interview.