Sacked Dundee teacher Linda Ross wins unfair dismissal claim
Dundee teacher Linda Ross has won her unfair dismissal claim against the city council.
- By Grant Smith, education reporter
- Published in the Courier : 30.06.11
- Published online : 30.06.11 @ 09.20am
The former deputy head of Longhaugh Primary School has been told a three-man employment tribunal has ruled in her favour.
She made no comment on her victory at her Forfar home, as the tribunal has still to decide the sum she will receive in compensation for the loss of her job.
Her husband Vic — who played a key role in the events that led to her dismissal — said, "All I can say is that I am absolutely delighted for my wife.
"I always maintained the truth would prevail in the end, and at long last it has."
He added, "I would like to thank everyone who believed in us and gave us their support."
Mrs Ross' solicitor, John Muir, said, "Mrs Ross is obviously delighted that the judgment went in her favour. I would hope that what happened to a dedicated teacher will not be allowed to happen again."
The council could be facing a substantial pay-out, potentially running into tens of thousands of pounds.
A spokesman said, "Dundee City Council has received the preliminary findings of the tribunal and is awaiting details of the full judgement."
No classroom return
Mrs Ross, who has been struck off by the General Teaching Council for Scotland after she chose not to attend its hearing in Edinburgh, is not seeking a return to the classroom.
The tribunal's decision, reached after hearing several sessions of evidence stretching back to last autumn, seemingly brings to an end a long-running and bitter saga.
Mrs Ross first fell foul of the council in 2007 while she was deputy head of Sidlaw View Primary School.
Concerned at allegations of frequent violence at the school, her husband sent an email to The Courier.
The furore that erupted over the story led to Mrs Ross being suspended and an independent inquiry ordered, which found her claims had been exaggerated.
Mrs Ross was given a final written warning and transferred to Longhaugh, but the following year she was suspended again in the wake of an investigation into an allegation she had assaulted a pupil.
That inquiry ended inconclusively, with one member of staff claiming he had seen the assault and Mrs Ross insisting she had done nothing wrong.
'Absolute nightmare'
Mrs Ross was upset at being told by her head teacher that she would receive guidance about her future conduct. She told the tribunal she had been "flabbergasted" by this ruling.
Shortly afterwards, the council began disciplinary proceedings against her and went to court to get an interdict banning Mr Ross from contacting head teacher Gerard Munro, who he had telephoned several times seeking an explanation of what had happened with his wife.
Mrs Ross went off sick and did not attend the hearing at which she was sacked for gross misconduct — a decision upheld on appeal.
The tribunal heard a series of allegations against her had been found proved, including claims she was involved in selling inappropriate adult clothing on a website and that the website had a direct link to pornographic material.
Mr and Mrs Ross both gave evidence to the tribunal, insisting she was not involved in the running of any website and the pornography claim was bogus.
Mrs Ross said she had been through an "absolute nightmare" and accused Anne Wilson, who had been the council's education director at the time, of acting as "judge, jury and executioner" in her case.
Mrs Wilson also gave evidence and said she stood by her decision to dismiss Mrs Ross-a decision the tribunal has now decided was wrong.
12.06pm - 30.06.2011 Eck - Perth, UK Report This
Congratulations to Mrs Ross for sticking to her guns and not allowing herself to be railroaded by so-called "high heid yins" who seem to think they are above the law of the land. I hope the compensation she will be awarded will be adequate for an assassinated career.
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