The under-fire principal of Fife’s Adam Smith College has dramatically quit just days before a crucial report into bullying allegations is made public.
The college announced on Monday that Dr Craig Thomson has decided to resign and retire with immediate effect. The chairman of the board of governors, Mark Goldsmith, has accepted the resignation.
Dr Thomson was suspended indefinitely by the board a week ago pending the outcome of an internal disciplinary investigation. That inquiry was separate to the one launched at the beginning of February by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) following claims of bullying and mismanagement at Scotland’s third largest college, which has campuses in Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes and Leven.
The SFC wound up their probe at the end of last week and it is thought some members of the board saw an interim report at the weekend before the full findings are published either at the end of this week or the beginning of next.
An insider told The Courier it was widely considered that the timing of Dr Thomson’s resignation was ”no coincidence”.
His departure has been broadly welcomed by staff, students and local politicians, who said it would allow the college to get back to some kind of normality.
However, it has been pointed out that a question mark still hangs over the future of three other executive directors Dr Thomson’s wife Linda, Christine Sinclair and Sandra Rhodes who have also been embroiled in the bullying allegations. All have been away from their desks for five weeks and it is not yet known whether they will return.
In a statement released by the college, Mr Goldsmith said: ”The college’s board of governors and senior management team, led by college vice-principal Ian Harrington, are committed to ensuring that the interests of students and staff are paramount and that disruption to the normal work of the college during this period is kept to an absolute minimum.”
Mid Fife and Glenrothes MSP Tricia Marwick said Dr Thomson had no alternative but to resign.
”We still await the report by the Scottish Funding Council and it is imperative that Adam Smith College regains the trust and confidence of its staff and students,” she said. ”I support the efforts of the new chairman of the board of governors at Adam Smith College, Mark Goldsmith, and his commitment to do what is best for the college.”
That sentiment was backed by Kirkcaldy MSP David Torrance, who said he found it ”unusual” that Dr Thomson’s resignation had come so soon after his suspension and before the publication of the SFC’s report.
He added, however, that it meant the college could now move forward with a new leader at the helm.
Mr Torrance added: “The board of governors can now take forward any recommendations made in the report by the funding council and resolve these issues quickly.
“I have found Mr Goldsmith to be open and sincere about the future of Adam Smith College and how seriously the allegations have been taken by him.”
Students and staff gave a mixed reaction to news of Dr Thomson’s resignation, with one lecturer describing it as like having reached base camp.
Hugh Loughlan, curriculum head of theatre arts, said the announcement was not unexpected given the investigation.
“It’s a step in the right direction and one would hope it’s not a sop and this isn’t seen as an end in itself,” he said. “The perspective of some of the people in the college is we’ve reached base camp and hopefully it’s the beginning of a process and not the end of one.”
Student association president Beneta Brown said she was happy Dr Thomson has resigned but claimed the college could not get back to normal until the future of the other three executive directors was known.
“I hope that situation is resolved quickly and we can get Adam Smith College’s name back up and get the students to start focusing on proposals for regionalisation rather than on bullying allegations,” she added.Victim of ‘orchestrated and vexatious campaign’A source close to Adam Smith College’s former principal claimed Dr Thomson believes he is the victim of an ”orchestrated and vexatious campaign”.
It is believed the terms of the under-fire college head’s departure includes a gagging order preventing him from speaking to the press.
It is thought that by remaining tight-lipped, he may be entitled to a financial package details of which have yet to be made public.
In a bland statement issued on his behalf by Edinburgh PR company Halogen, Dr Thomson wished the college well and expressed confidence it would deal effectively with the next stage of its development
However, behind the scenes he is said to be furious at the way he has been treated, which he has blamed on a small number of staff lobbying against him.
The source, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Courier: ”The funding council report coming out this week is going to be very critical. It was never going to be anything but that result.”
He said that far from Dr Thomson bullying staff, he had been ”dreadfully cyberbullied” via a website where college workers have left anonymous comments about him.
The site was set up in Florida by a person or persons unknown and, according to The Courier’s contact, legal opinion is such that it would have resulted in court action if those responsible could have been identified.
The source added that due to the extent of the campaign, Dr Thomson believed his wife Linda and two other executive directors Christine Sinclair and Sandra Rhodes who have also been under investigation by the funding council, would be unable to return to their posts.
In the statement released by Halogen, Dr Thomson said: ”I have brought forward my retirement to help the college to move on from what has been a difficult and damaging period. I wish staff, students and friends of the college the very best for the future.”
* We have been asked to make clear that Christine Sinclair was not subject to any allegations relating to financial mismanagement. We are also happy to clarify that the SFC investigation was into the whole college, not just selected staff.