Former head of science makes whistleblowing claim at Employment Tribunal

The Courier reports that a former head of science at a prestigious private school in Scotland has made a claim to the Employment Tribunal for detriment and dismissal due to protected disclosures that he made during his employment.

Mr Stuart Randall worked for Lathallan School as the head of science until he claims he was forced to resign from his position in 2011 because of contended unreasonable behaviour by his employer. Mr Randall contends that this unreasonable behaviour includes a failure to deal adequately with complaints that he made about pupil behaviour, a failure to deal with the actions of a colleague whom he was promoted over and what Mr Randall contends to have been an unreasonable disciplinary outcome in being given a final written warning in 2011. After he was given the final written warning Mr Randall resigned from his position as head of science and instructed employment law solicitors to make a claim for unfair dismissal and detriment and dismissal due to (alleged) protected disclosures to the Employment Tribunal.

The matter is now due to come before a full Employment Tribunal, with both Mr Randall and employees at the school to give evidence in the matter. Mr Randall will apparently state in his evidence that he had made complaints regarding been subjected to a number of humiliating incidents involving pupils, that the school did not have the proper resources to deal with incoming students, that another teacher had been attempting to undermine him during his employment and that he had been unfairly disciplined after pupils had played a prank on him.

A spokeswoman for Lathallan School stated: “Given that the tribunal process is due to start in September, we do not feel it would be appropriate to comment at this time so as not to prejudice the findings of the tribunal”.