A secondary-school principal has claimed an investigation into complaints against him are part of an agenda to have him removed from his position.
The complaints allege Noel Malone arranged for a teacher at the school to teach Mr Malone’s child on a one-to-one basis during that teacher’s paid hours and that Mr Malone, while at an event outside school, stared and winked at a second teacher.
Mr Malone says the complaints are “utterly baseless, false and malicious”, his counsel John Hennessy SC said.
Mr Malone, head teacher at the 900-student Coláiste Chiarán in Croom, Co Limerick, has brought High Court proceedings against the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (ETB), which runs the co-educational school.
Opening the case on Tuesday, Mr Hennessy said his client has been suspended on pay from his job arising from two complaints, made in July and September 2014. One arose from a claim a teacher at the school had taught one of Mr Malone’s children on a one-to-one basis as part of that teacher’s contracted 22 weekly hours.
The other complaint related to another teacher alleging he was “stared at”, “smiled at” and “winked at” by Mr Malone at an event outside school.
The manner in which the complaints are being investigated and Mr Malone’s subsequent suspension from his post in July 2014 form part of an agenda to get rid of him as principal of the school, counsel said.
In his action, Mr Malone wants various orders including preventing the ETB continuing its investigation. The ETB, represented by Feichin McDonagh SC, denies Mr Malone has been denied fair procedures or that it delayed in bringing a quick resolution to the process. The action before Mr Justice Paul McDermott continues.