A teacher told children in his class to do a project on the American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer on sheets decorated with what appeared to be "drops of blood" so they could discover the "good and bad that goes on in the world", it was claimed yesterday by the school which dismissed him.
Mr Gerard Moore also brought more than 30 pupils to an adventure park without informing the school authorities, an employment appeals hearing in Dublin was told.
Mr Moore, of Lakeside Park, Naas, Co Kildare, is claiming unfair dismissal against the board of management of the Holy Child National School in Naas, which has 600 pupils aged between four and nine.
Mr Moore's father Timothy, who is representing him, told the tribunal his son had "never missed half-a-second in his career".
The board of management claims Mr Moore's "conduct and attitude" forced them to seek his dismissal in November 1998.
Ms Patricia Kennelly, the school principal, said Mr Moore had been with the school since its foundation 20 years ago and was "a competent teacher and would have prepared his work well". However, she said "I would have questioned his disciplinary procedures". She said this first became an issue when the school drew up a policy of behaviour management designed to get the children to "believe in themselves". She said Mr Moore did not agree with it.
By June 1997 there were "increasing difficulties". She said many parents complained about Mr Moore. She said an incident regarding a school tour in the summer of 1997 had been particularly serious. She said Mr Moore took over 30 pupils to Fort Lucan, an adventure park with obstacles and climbing frames. "He didn't inform me he was going." Nobody travelled with Mr Moore, she said.
She said a parent wrote to her informing her that her daughter had fallen off a climbing frame and banged her head. She said Mr Moore had looked at the girl's injury but didn't proceed any further. She said the child was sick later and vomited and was "quite ill that night" and her parents were upset.
When he was questioned Mr Moore said he had asked a child to drop a note on Ms Kennelly's desk telling her he was taking the children on a tour. Ms Kennelly said she never received it.
She said another issue concerned Mr Moore's use of newspaper articles. She said he had read an article to a class headlined "Man kills two of his children and turns the gun on himself". She said Mr Moore said children had to learn about the "rough side of life".
She said Mr Moore had also asked children in his class to do a project on the serial killer Dahmer. She said articles about Dahmer were placed on sheets decorated with what appeared to be "drops of blood". She said this was not appropriate for children in a primary school.
She said another complaint related to a female pupil who had forgotten a tin whistle lent to her by another pupil. She said this annoyed Mr Moore - who taught the tin whistle - and he put a large X on the blackboard and made the girl sit in a chair and stare at it as punishment.
The hearing will resume in September.