By Graham Huband

DUNDEE CITY Council was yesterday accused of victimisation by the husband of a primary school deputy head teacher who this week was suspended from her work for the second time.

Linda Ross was removed from her duties at Longhaugh Primary just months after a high profile suspension from her previous post at Sidlaw View Primary.

On Thursday the council was granted an interim interdict against her husband, Vic Ross, which bans him from contacting Gerard Munro, the head teacher at Longhaugh.

Mr Ross said yesterday the fight to clear both his and his wife’s names has now started. He said the interdict was nonsense, and he would be taking legal steps to have it overturned.

Mr Ross said the latest wrangle had occurred after his wife returned home from school on Tuesday in a distressed state.

He had asked what was wrong but his wife had not been able to tell him because of the terms of a confidentiality agreement she had signed with her employer.

Mr Ross said his wife went to bed with a headache and he had attempted to contact Mr Munro to clarify the situation.

Mr Ross admitted calling Mr Munro’s mobile phone on several occasions—he denied that it had been up to 50 times—but said he only actually got through three times.

He said Mr Munro had disconnected the call twice and the pair had only had one conversation.

Mr Ross added, “An incident had taken place at Longhaugh Primary School, where Linda is depute head.

“Linda refused to disclose to me details of the incident, due to a council privacy agreement she had signed.

“Because she arrived home in an emotional state and was very upset, I decided to telephone the head teacher, Gerry Munro, to enlighten me of the events at a meeting held on Tuesday morning.

“It transpired that his phone was constantly engaged and it took repeated attempts from me to make contact with him, only to have the phone slammed down on me on three separate occasions.

“I was angry at his refusal to speak with me and his refusal to explain why my wife had returned home from work emotionally distressed.

“Linda recently lost her mother after a short illness and had just returned to work.

“Eventually he (Mr Munro) assured me that he would make arrangements for an appointment with him the next day as he didn’t have his diary with him.

“He failed to contact me the next day as promised. I made no other contact with Gerry Munro since the events of Tuesday evening. On Thursday afternoon I was served with the interim interdict.

“Dundee City Council have made it very clear, by bringing about these recent actions, they have deliberately set out to discredit both of us.”

A spokesperson for Dundee City Council declined to comment on Mr Ross’ statement.

The council issued a statement late on Thursday confirming Mrs Ross’ latest suspension and also stating they had been granted the interim interdict against Mr Ross.

Mrs Ross was suspended from her post as deputy head of Sidlaw View Primary last September after her husband Vic contacted The Courier with allegations of violence and threats by pupils and parents.

An independent investigation was held and the claims were found to have been exaggerated and the comments by Mr Ross were said to be a “completely inappropriate means of trying to resolve the situation.”

However, the panel recommended that security at Sidlaw View be reviewed, to ensure that access was restricted.