A deputy head teacher has won compensation for unfair dismissal at a Welsh employment tribunal.
Debbie Ellis, 51, was sacked after it was alleged she caused a boy of six “emotional and physical abuse” because she lifted him by the armpits and carried him away to protect him from a man who had been spotted committing a sexual act near school ground a few weeks earlier.
Luck Casey, the child in question, refused to come in when asked by Mrs Ellis, who promptly took action to move him away from the man.
Governors of Hafod-y-Wern primary school, which is based in Wrexham, North Wales, investigated the incident and sacked Mrs Ellis who had an unblemished twenty-year record.
Her injury lawyer described the actions of the governors as “totally unfair and over the top”.
Just before the start of the tribunal, compensation for the unfair dismissal was agreed between Mrs Ellis’s lawyer and Wrexham Council.
Mrs Ellis was very pleased with the verdict, saying: “It’s a massive weight off my shoulders. What happened has had a huge impact on my life and my family’s life. It affected my health. I’m pleased it’s done and dusted. I’ll take a breather and put life into perspective. I don’t want to go back to teaching right now – I loved my job and was shattered when this happened.”
The amount of compensation Mrs Ellis has received is subject to a confidentiality agreement between her and the local authority.
A spokesman for the local authority said they “intend to respect the confidential agreement”.
