Exam students' suspension lifted

A legal dispute arising from the suspension of a Leaving Certificate student over a "prank" has been resolved, the High Court…

A legal dispute arising from the suspension of a Leaving Certificate student over a "prank" has been resolved, the High Court was told yesterday.

The 17-year-old student, who had been suspended until June 4th, when the Leaving Certificate exams begin, will now be permitted to return to the south Dublin school on Monday next. All other students suspended on the same basis will also be allowed to return on the same date.

Mr Niall Beirne, for the student, and Mr Tom Mallon, for the school, told Mr Justice Kearns yesterday the dispute had been resolved to the satisfaction of all sides.

Mr Mallon said the school principal had written yesterday to the parents of all the students involved in the prank on April 27th, which involved a break-in at the school, the moving of school furniture on to a roof and the scrawling of offensive graffiti about a teacher on a wall.

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The principal had outlined a particular decision on the suspension which had proved acceptable to all the parties, Mr Mallon said. The suspension would be lifted from May 19th for all the pupils affected.

On the basis of that proposal, Mr Beirne said his client did not wish to proceed with the matter.

On Monday, the student had, through his parents, initiated High Court proceedings seeking his immediate readmission to the school, from where he has been suspended since April 28th.

At that hearing, Mr David Kennedy SC, for the student, said the suspension arose following a "prank that went too far", involving a break-in by a number of students at the school on the night of April 27th last.

Counsel said chairs and tables were placed on the flat roof of a prefab building in the school grounds and graffiti was also scrawled on a wall directed at one teacher in particular. The school principal had later described the graffiti as crude, offensive and pornographic.

Mr Kennedy said that while the boy admitted being involved in the incident, he had played only a minor role.