The catering supervisor was told she could be seen to be ‘grooming’ the boy after giving him a biscuit A County Fermanagh school has been criticised after warning a dinner lady who gave a child a biscuit that she could be seen to be ‘grooming’ the boy.
It happened at St Mary’s Primary in Brookeborough in January 2008.
The incident was reported after the woman left her job. She has since returned.
Chair of the Stormont Education committee Mervyn Storey described it as “political correctness gone too far”.
The case was reported to the NI Ombudsman, Tom Frawley, who said the woman should receive an apology from and a payment from the local education authority.
In a copy of the Ombudsman’s report, seen by the local newspaper the Impartial Reporter, the woman was told by the acting principal that under the Child Protection Act, she could be seen to be grooming the boy after arranging for him to be given a biscuit.
The catering supervisor, who was a relative of the child, then had to attend three meetings, firstly with the acting principal then two with the school principal.
One of the meetings with the principal lasted over an hour and he wanted her to attend a fourth.
The woman decided to leave her job as she felt she had been subjected to a “grilling”.
She made a complaint to the body responsible for education in the area, the Western Education and Library Board (WELB).
The Ombudsman Tom Frawley said the woman had endured gossip and rumours over a period of two years.
His report found that the Western Board failed to address a complaint the woman made about her treatment “promptly and appropriately”.
Mr. Frawley also found there was no proper protocol in place under which board employees can raise grievances about non-board co-workers.
The woman has since returned to the school.
In a statement, St Mary’s primary school said the issues between the individuals involved had been resolved using mediation through the Labour Relations Agency.
“A confidentiality agreement was signed by all parties involved so it would not be appropriate to comment any further,” it said.
“We have not received a copy of the Ombudsman’s report so we cannot comment on a report that we have not seen,” it added.
The WELB said the board had noted the findings of the Ombudsman’s report and was “presently actioning the recommendations”.
The chair of the Stormont Education committee said that while rules were there to protect children and staff this was a case of “political correctness gone too far”.
“I think it’s a sad situation that schools are “so boxed in because of legislation.”
The Ombudsman has recommended that an apology to the woman should be made in writing and a consolatory payment made.
He is to also write to the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Education to address the lack of policy as a “matter of urgency”.
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