Six teachers settle action over bullying and harassment by principal

SIX teachers who claimed they were subjected to bullying and harassment by their school principal yesterday settled a High Court action for damages.

The six teachers at the Presentation Secondary School in Terenure, Dublin, claimed the former manager and the owners of the school failed to take steps to stop alleged bullying by the principal Austin Kearney.

The six, Patricia Langan, Deidre McEntee, Rosemary McGinley, Nuala Cranley, Lorraine Jones and John Loughman, all received an apology from the former manager Michael O’Lionain and Sr Claude Meagher, trustee for the Presentation Order.

In their apology, the defendants unreservedly acknowledged they were all highly competent teachers and their dedication to all aspects of the school was unquestioned.

They acknowledged the teachers were fully justified in taking their claims about the “unacceptable manner” in which they were treated by Mr Kearney despite management’s best efforts during their terms of office to deal with the matter.

Following discussions between the parties yesterday, Frank Callanan SC, for the teachers, told Ms Justice Mary Irvine the proceedings could be struck out after hearing the cases had been settled with the payment of substantial damages to each teacher.

The teachers, in their statements of claim, said they suffered stress and anxiety as a result of being bullied in their workplace.

Ms Langan claimed she was repeatedly publicly humiliated by Mr Kearney and despite raising concerns with management back in 1991, they failed to take any meaningful steps.

Ms Jones claimed she was subject to unlawful harassment and bullying by Mr Kearney and was objectively depressed and hated going to work.

Ms Cranley said Mr Kearney only imposed a minor sanction on pupils involved in an incident on a school trip, owing to which she suffered severe personal injury. This was an act “deliberately designed” to belittle her in the eyes of the students.

Ms McEntee said Mr Kearney regularly mistreated her and abused his authority at meetings.

Ms McGinley said Mr Kearney refused to communicate with her on a personal level and had to do it through memos or a secretary.

Mr Loughman said Mr Kearney subjected him to a consistent campaign of harassment including an incident in which the principal reported him as absent without permission when he was in fact on jury duty.