A COMMUNITY schoolteacher who was retired last year on health grounds has brought a High Court action alleging she was bullied, intimidated and harassed over several years by her school principal and others.
Bridget Sweeney, who first complained of bullying to her GP in November 2005 and was retired on health grounds by the Department of Education late last year, also claims the principal, Austin Corcoran, had early last year hired a private investigator to follow her in the course of her work.
The action by Ms Sweeney (54), Beaver Row, Donnybrook, Dublin, is against the board of management of Ballinteer Community School, Dublin. A former resource and home-schooling teacher, she alleges negligence and breach of duty of care and also claims an investigation by the board of her complaints was biased against her and in favour of Mr Corcoran. The board denies all claims in proceedings which opened yesterday before Mr Justice Daniel Herbert. It also pleads it carried out a fair and unbiased investigation into her complaints.
Ms Sweeney claims she was consistently disadvantaged in her work and subjected to bullying and harassment by Mr Corcoran. She also says she was consistently mistreated by the principal in applying for promotion, particularly for four posts of responsibility in 2005.
She claims Mr Corcoran ceased communicating with her in November 2005 and she had felt isolated. She was under enormous stress which required her to take leave for six months until March 2007.
Declan Doyle SC, for Ms Sweeney, said the situation became even worse when she had confirmed she was being followed.
The matter was brought before the High Court and an interim injunction was secured restraining Mr Corcoran or his agents watching or besetting her.
Throughout 2008 and despite the trip to the Four Courts, Mr Corcoran continued to follow Ms Sweeney about in an intrusive way and her health began to deteriorate.
Eventually she was retired by the department on health grounds in October 2008, Ms Sweeney said.
The hearing continues today.