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Original poster

Advice needed re sister and disciplinary hearing

22 replies

supersop60 · 14/03/2015 06:48

My DSis is a teacher and has been suspended for two days (since Thurs) while the school investigates an accusation of fraud. She had a letter yesterday calling her to a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday. She has been told to speak to no-one at the school while she is suspended. I am trying to do some research for her so here are a couple of questions - a) can she contact colleagues who may be able to support her at the meeting? b) should the school have given her more notice about the meeting? c) does the fact that the investigation was sparked by an anonymous and vindictive text, have any bearing? My sis says the whole thing is a fabrication and is very upset.

OP posts:

Quitelikely · 14/03/2015 06:56

She is better off doing as they have asked for now. I'm sure they are carrying out their own investigation ready for the meeting.

If your sister has done nothing wrong she will get the chance to prove it.

What sort of fraud is it? Seems unusual for a teacher

Original poster

supersop60 · 14/03/2015 07:12

I don't know how much I'm allowed to say. it's relating to an order for stock, that she sourced from ebay and paid for herself, offered the stock to an amateur drama club, who borrowed it, but didn't want to pay for it, and then she passed the stock on to the school for the drama dept. The bursar agreed and passed the invoice, (£30).
The anonymous text, passed on by a third party (also unknown) said that she told the drama club that the school would be none the wiser (or similar wording) and "I really don't like her".
The school is now querying that the stock is even necessary and that she has in fact got her money back under false pretences.

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Original poster

supersop60 · 14/03/2015 07:18

Because fraud comes under the heading of gross misconduct, she is terrified that on Tuesday she could be sacked. 32 years of teaching potentially wiped out because of one mean person.

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Quitelikely · 14/03/2015 07:24

So she sold some stock to the school. How can that be fraud!

FishWithABicycle · 14/03/2015 07:26

Is she the budget holder for the drama department? Wasn't someone else's signature required to make the payment?

Is she actually personally benefitting from this at all? If she was getting the school to pay invoices for goods and then keeping the goods herself, that would be fraud. If she's the budget holder and has authority to buy resources for her department and bought some resources for her department which senior management is questioning whether the department really needed, that's not fraud, just poor budget management and procedures.

Original poster

supersop60 · 14/03/2015 07:53

fish you're pretty much correct. Except that the school recently changed the budget arrangements so that everything goes through the bursar, and individual depts don't have their own budget.

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MinceSpy · 14/03/2015 07:58

I'm sorry your sister is going through this stress. She needs to contact her union as a matter of urgency. She needs a union rep with her at the meeting.

sandgrown · 14/03/2015 07:59

Make sure she is accompanied if possible and I am sure she is allowed to contact a colleague to accompany her. Is she in the union? If so contact them .She needs a copy of the school's disciplinary policy and there is a set period she must be allowed before the meeting. Look on the ACAS website.

Original poster

supersop60 · 14/03/2015 08:00

She contacted them on Thurs when she got home and is waiting to be allocated a case worker. They need to hurry up. Relating to my questions above - how can she get the school's union rep to accompany her if she's been told not to talk to anyone?

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Finola1step · 14/03/2015 08:03

She should contact her union as a matter of urgency. And under no circumstances should she go into this meeting alone.

Original poster

supersop60 · 14/03/2015 08:04

The ACAS website recommends it is done as soon as possible, and only recommends 5 days. I think my sis has been sent a copy of the school's policy, and the transcript of the first meeting, along with the notice of disiplinary.
I'm hoping that the head is just following procedure and won't actually 'punish' her. But this is the head who was allowed to spend thousands of pounds doing up her office when she arrived at the school........

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Finola1step · 14/03/2015 08:04

Don't go for the school's union rep. They will know very little. She needs representation from the local area rep.

DrownedGirl · 14/03/2015 08:09

This meeting will be just a fact finding one. She should have a regional union rep with her, and should get the meeting rearranged if necessary so that can happen.

She should get her position clear in her mind and take along any evidence that she has.

I do think buying something for the school then lending it to a drama group (or buying it initially for the drama group then later in getting the school to pay for it) is a bit problematic.

What was the date the goods were bought? When did she get the school to reimburse her?

DrownedGirl · 14/03/2015 08:13

Or has there already been a first interview?

I am a bursar and deal with this sort of stuff. Pm me if you like.

DrownedGirl · 14/03/2015 08:17

She is unlikely be dismissed without a governors panel, this won't be the actual disc hearing. If it gets that far she will be able to get her own witnesses.

I wouldn't suggest contacting anyone at school, that's a disciplinary offence in itself, and gossip is likely to ensue

It doesn't sound like in itself it would be gross misconduct, but would need the full details

Original poster

supersop60 · 14/03/2015 18:55

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Bilberry · 14/03/2015 20:15

So, her own drama group needed some stuff but didn't want to pay for it. She bought it and the drama group used it, then when they were finished with it she recouped the cost of it from the school's budget and placed the now unwanted secondhand stuff into schools drama cupboard.

I'm presuming that is the worst-case reading of what she did? If so, I can see how it might annoy some people.

Original poster

supersop60 · 14/03/2015 20:22

Bilberry yes that is the worst case scenario. However it was clear on the invoice to the bursar what it was for, and it was never queried, until this second hand malicious text was received. The props were needed at school and they were bought with dual purpose in mind. If the drama club HAD bought the stuff, then my sis would have had to buy MORE for school.

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JustDerppingAround · 14/03/2015 21:17

That's a tricky situation - did your DSis run it through with anyone else or was it just the burser

Viviennemary · 14/03/2015 21:23

She should immediately get in touch with her Union if she belongs to one. I hope she does. They should send along a rep to be in the meeting. I think she may be allowed to take a friend/colleague as well but not sure. Certainly contact the Union. Totally agree she should not attend this meeting until she has contacted her Union.

Original poster

supersop60 · 15/03/2015 07:25

She has contacted the union and is waiting for a caseworker. She also doesn't have to run it through with anyone else - she's head of dept and has been for about 20 years.
I think the bursar needs a kick up the wotsit for not checking.
My sister has done nothing wrong, except for not checking with the bursar before she bought the stuff. She never had any intent to defraud.

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Original poster

supersop60 · 18/03/2015 11:27

Here's the latest - yesterday was the actual disciplinary hearing. The HT is reporting back to the governors, but she now accepts that this was NOT gross misconduct and will not be recommending dismissal. At worst I think my sis was guilty of poor judgement and she admits that. The ironic thing is - had she put in her receipts sooner, the school would have had first-hand goods at a first-hand price, but the drama club would have borrowed them anyway BEFORE they were used in school. Same situation - different timeline. The union rep is of the opinion that the HT has another agenda. My sis might still resign and claim constructive dismissal - there are many other things the HT has done that would amount to bullying. Thanks for your interest.

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