Council's 'capitulation' to aggressive Muslim campaign 'caused teacher's breakdown'
A council's "lamentable capitulation" to an aggressive campaign to "capture" a secular primary school for the Muslim faith caused the headteacher to suffer a devastating mental breakdown, according to a top judge. Ruling that headteacher Erica Connor, was entitled £400,000 damages, the Court of Appeal criticised criticised Surrey County Council for failing to protect her.
Mrs Connor, 57, left the New Monument primary school in Woking in 2006 because of stress after she was accused of Islamophobia. Regular readers may recall we posted about the case here and here at the time.
In March last year, a deputy High Court judge ruled that the council had failed in its duty to to intervene when the actions of the schools governors created problems. He awarded her £407,700 damages. An appeal against that decision was yesterday rejected with judges saying the council had been unwilling to tackle the issue because of the sensitivities involved.
At the court of Appeal, Lord Justice Sedley, who was sitting with Lord Justice Laws and Lord Justice Thomas, said the council had faced an "unenviable task" in trying to respond to rampant ethnic and religious tensions at The New Monument School, in Woking, Surrey, where more than 80% of the pupils are from an Islamic background.
But in its attempts to "temporise and compromise" with those intent on transforming it into an Islamic faith school, he said the council failed in its duty to protect Mrs Connor from the fallout, and that "very plainly" caused her breakdown.
(At the hearing in the lower court) Judge John Leighton-Williams QC said that, by late 2003, the school's governing body had become "dysfunctional" and it was "quite clear" that the conduct of two of the governors - Mr Martin and Mr Saleem - was responsible for that.
Ruling Surrey County Council liable for Mrs Connor's suffering, the judge said council officers had shown "excessive tolerance" towards the two governors and a "lack of timely intervention" had resulted in the governing body being "torn apart".
(In the Appeal Court) Lord Justice Laws added that Surrey had had to make "sensitive and difficult decisions", but agreed that the root of Mrs Connor's breakdown was "the council's lamentable capitulation to aggression".
Posted on 03/19/2010 7:01 AM by Esmerelda Weatherwax
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