The head of the German department of University College Cork yesterday obtained a High Court interim order restraining UCC from removing her from the post.
Prof Mary Howard of North Mall, Cork, has been head of the department since 1994. She said in an affidavit that the president of UCC, Prof G. Wrixon, had advised her a year ago that he intended to have her removed from the position if she did not resign voluntarily.
In court yesterday Mr Tom Mallon, for Prof Howard, said UCC authorities were claiming they were entitled to rotate the posts of department heads. Prof Howard had received a communication stating that she would be excluded if she did not apply for her own post by yesterday.
Mr Justice McCracken granted an interim injunction, which continues until Monday next, restraining UCC from removing Prof Howard and from appointing any other person to the post in the meantime.
In her affidavit, Prof Howard said that in November 1998 the then president of UCC had advised of "specific issues" raised with him on behalf of the academic staff of the German department. She had agreed to a "facilitation process".
However, in March 1999, the newly appointed UCC president, Prof Wrixon, had told her he did not believe in the facilitation process. Instead, he had requested she consider resigning as department head. If she did not submit her resignation, he said he would seek to have her removed.
In September 1999, the college authorities introduced "Interim Procedures for the Investigation of Allegations of Harassment or Bullying". She was advised that allegations of harassment and bullying had been made against her and that she had caused a hostile environment to be created in the department.
Prof Howard said she had complained about the way the college authorities had dealt with the allegations. They had failed to comply with the principles of natural and constitutional justice. The college's investigations into the allegations against her had not yet concluded and no decision had been made as to the veracity or otherwise of the complaints.
She had been advised last March that her "initial five-year appointment as department head had expired" on January 1st, 1999, and that there were new procedures in place.