A teacher who claims she has been wrongly deprived of a permanent position at St Gerard's private school in Bray, Co Wicklow has told the High Court that the then school principal had informed her it was not her teaching which was in question but that she was "not suited" to the school.
Mary Hennessy from Quill Road, Kilmacanogue, Co Wicklow, has brought an action against the board of governors of the school, where she was a maths and business organisation teacher for almost a year from August 2002. She claims she was offered a position on the understanding it would be permanent but was deprived of that. The defence denies that claim.
On the second day of her action yesterday, Ms Hennessy referred to a meeting with the then school principal, Gerald Foley, on April 8th, 2003, which occurred after she was "frog-marched" to his office. She said Mr Foley had asked her whether she hated St Gerard's and him and had asked would she not be happier at the new community college in Kilcoole.
She said Mr Foley, who is now principal of Belvedere College, had said: "It is not your teaching in question. You are not suited to St Gerard's."
In her proceedings, Ms Hennessy claims that, in March 2003, reference was made to a probationary period. At the end of April 2003, she received a letter signed by the chairperson of the St Gerard's Board which stated it did not intend to offer a contract of continuous employment at the end of her probationary period.
She is seeking a declaration that she is a full-time teacher at St Gerard's, an order permitting her to return to her teaching post, damages for breach of contract and exemplary damages for loss of reputation.
In evidence yesterday, Ms Hennessy said that when she got the letter from the school board, she could not teach or speak to anybody. She went to her GP, who told her not to go back to work. There never had been any complaints in relation to her work in any of the previous schools where she had taught, she said.
She said she was offered a permanent job at St Gerard's 10 days after she attended for interview and there was no reference made to a probationary period.
The case continues today.