Disciplinary hearing 'infected' principal claims

THE PRINCIPAL of a Co Meath national school has told the High Court he believes a disciplinary hearing into complaints against him has been “infected” by “antagonism and hostility” towards him on the part of the school patron, Bishop Michael Smith, and by a former chair of the school’s board of management.

John Hand seeks to prevent the hearing into complaints against him, including of having a prefab moved from the school to the rear of his home and temporarily transferring four children to another school so it would not lose a teacher.

Mr Hand, of Proudstown, Navan, has since 1997 been principal of St Oliver Plunkett’s national school in Navan, a Catholic co-educational school of some 600 pupils. His action against the school manager, Fr Brendan Ludlow, was presented by Roddy Horan SC, who said Mr Hand does not believe he will get a fair hearing.

A series of complaints were made against Mr Hand following a report on enrolment matters at the school by a Department of Education and Science inspector in October 2007. The inspector concluded enrolment figures were manipulated by Mr Hand and the principal of Kilmainham Wood national school, his wife Maire Hand, to ensure Kilmainham Wood kept a teacher.

Mr Hand in an affidavit denies any wrongdoing and said Fr Ludlow has been “infected” by hostility and antagonism towards him from Fr Dwayne Gavin, former chairman of the school’s board of management, and from Bishop Smith.

Fr Ludlow has denied Mr Hand will not get a fair hearing and his counsel Feichin McDonagh SC said his client had fully complied with obligations. Mr Justice Daniel O’Keeffe has reserved judgment.

The allegations against Mr Hand include that he had a pre-fab moved from the school to the rear of his home and had another prefab fitted out with material from the school and used it for a pre-school run by him as a private enterprise; kept false enrolment records, and sent false information to the Department of Education and Science.

Mr Hand said he wanted an opportunity to refute the prefab claims. He also said he had told the previous board he permitted the pupil transfer to help the other school have enough pupils to keep a teacher. He had apologised but believed he had broken no rule.

In his affidavit, Fr Ludlow said Mr Hand had been told he would have an opportunity to respond fully to the disciplinary charges.