03 August 2009 - Prep school teacher sacked after developing diabetes
The head of English at an exclusive London prep school was sacked after developing diabetes.
Liz Matthys, of Crofton Park, London, had been head hunted for the £52,000 per year job at Abercorn School in Marylebone in April 2005, but felt unable to return to work after January this year, having endured a year of discrimination and harassment since being diagnosed as diabetic in December 2007.
Mrs Matthys is now taking her case to the London Central Employment Tribunal where she will claim that she was unfairly dismissed from the school, which charges fees of £4,500 per term, that she suffered discrimination under the Disability Discrimination Act and was bullied and harassed.
Her solicitor, Tony Bertin of Employment Relations Solicitors, will tell the tribunal that as a direct result of the bullying and harassment she endured, Mrs Matthys began to suffer from abnormally high and uncontrolled blood sugars and palpitations. She was signed off work with stress in November 2008 and did not return to work, as she would have suffered a serious and imminent danger to her health.
Mr Bertin will also say that at not time did the school make any attempt to carry out either an assessment of any adjustments for disability or stress risk.
Mrs Matthys lodged a grievance about her treatment which was dismissed, as was her appeal. The school informed her in April this year that she had been found guilty of misconduct and she was sacked. Her appeal against this decision was dismissed, and her job was re-advertised in May.
Mr Bertin said: “It is the claimant’s belief that disciplinary process and dismissal were a direct consequence of her disability.”
END
Inquiries
Tony Bertin, Employment Relations Solicitors 01303 840001 tonybertin@employment-relations.co.uk
Anne Leva, Employment Relations Solicitors 01303 840001 Anne@employment-relations.co.uk
www.employement-relations.co.uk
