East Lothian Courier Reports

Published: Thursday, 6th May, 2010 8:15am

'I'm no bully'

THE headmaster at exclusive county school Loretto has vehemently denied he carried out a sustained campaign of harassment which led to the resignation of a maths teacher while he was in charge of a private Welsh school. Peter Hogan, who has held the top position at Loretto for the past 18 months, was accused of being a "bullying control freak" by maths teacher Albert Jones while he was in charge as warden of the exclusive Llandovery College. Mr Jones took his grievance to a Cardiff employment tribunal last month, but the matter between the school and Mr Jones was resolved following just two hours of evidence. Following a decision to demote him, Mr Jones, a married father-of-six, claimed Mr Hogan then continued to hound him by launching a dismissal hearing, and after leaving the school Mr Jones then began his employment appeal on the grounds of constructive and unfair dismissal. The alleged offences took place between March 2003 and August 2005. The case was dismissed on the second day of the hearing after Llandovery College and Mr Jones reached a settlement on April 21.

Mr Hogan told the Courier: "Mr Jones was the subject of complaints from teaching staff, pupils and parents and as head of the school at the time it was my duty to look into the matters. Unfortunately, as it transpired Mr Jones interpreted the investigation into his conduct as a form of bullying. But, I categorically deny any form of harassment of Mr Jones ever took place by myself or any of the school's staff.

"The tribunal only heard two hours of evidence from Mr Jones before he settled with the school, but had the tribunal run its course it would have heard evidence from myself and fellow staff members totally refuting all of these allegations. "The settlement was between the school and Mr Jones and had nothing to do with me. I was completely exonerated by the board of trustees, one of whom was a barrister, who looked into the matter. "I hold no grudge against Mr Jones and wish him every success in his new employment."

During his evidence Mr Jones reportedly claimed fellow staff members agreed with him concerning his treatment by Mr Hogan, but Mr Hogan has hit back - claiming he only conducted an internal investigation into Mr Jones' teaching practice following complaints by school staff, pupils and parents. It's been reported that Mr Jones, who began teaching in 1981, told the tribunal that the first 18 months of his employment went well, however in May 2004 Mr Hogan informed him he was implementing capability procedures over concerns about his performance. During an internal hearing in June 2004 Mr Jones agreed to take a lower position, but with the same employment conditions, following claims he would be subject to strict guidelines if he continued as director of studies at the school. He claims he was then asked to accept a further demotion to maths teacher after Mr Hogan, claimed he had usurped his authority over subject management. Mr Jones subsequently contacted the chair of the school's trustees, Sir David Mansel-Lewis, about the way he was being treated by Mr Hogan. And while Mr Mansel-Lewis allegedly advised Mr Jones to accept the demotion but to immediately instigate grievance procedures against the decision, a three-man panel of trustees subsequently found that Mr Hogan had not acted to intimidate Mr Jones or that he held a grudge against him.

Published: Thursday, 1st July, 2010 9:28am

Leading school faces employment tribunal


EXCLUSIVE Loretto School faced the first day of an employment tribunal yesterday (Thursday).

Mrs Fiona Gordon, who worked at the senior school’s admission department, is claiming she was discriminated against during her maternity leave.The tribunal, held at the employment tribunal offices in Edinburgh, is due to last for seven days.A spokesperson for Loretto School said: “Loretto will play a full and supportive role throughout the tribunal proceedings and will defend the school’s position on any issues raised during the process.”Loretto’s headmaster Peter Hogan was also involved in an employment tribunal earlier this year when a former staff member at Llandovery College, Wales, accused him of bullying. Mr Hogan denied all of the allegations levelled against him, and the tribunal was resolved after just two hours of evidence.

Published: Thursday, 15th July, 2010 9:28am

Police probe launched after Loretto complaint


LOTHIAN and Borders Police is said to be under investigation by the Crown Office following a complaint from a member of the public over its handling of abuse claims at Musselburgh’s exclusive Loretto School.
It is thought the complainer is unhappy over how the police force dealt with allegations of an assault on a pupil at the £8,700-a-term private school.
The force’s Chief Constable, David Strang, is president of Loretto’s former-pupils society, and Alistair Darling, the former-Chancellor, also attended the school.
A Crown Office spokesman said: “After a complaint from a member of public, the area procurator fiscal is reviewing papers relating to an investigation by Lothian and Borders Police.”
A spokesman for Loretto School said: “We would fully co-operate if any further investigation was needed.”
A Lothian and Borders Police spokeswoman said: “We are awaiting the outcome of the Crown Office review.”

Meanwhile, an admissions director at Loretto School has won £8,000 after suing the school over alleged sex discrimination. Fiona Gordon took to the school to an employment tribunal claiming she had been treated unfairly following the announcement of her pregnancy.
It has been reported that headmaster Peter Hogan had threatened her with redundancy when she told him she would be going on maternity leave. When the 41-year-old returned to work she, is reported as saying, her position had been made redundant as the department was in the midst of being restructured.