Principal of top school secures injunction against disciplinary hearing

The principal of one of Galway’s top secondary school has secured a temporary High Court injunction preventing a disciplinary hearing into allegations against her from proceeding.
The action has been brought by Mary Joyce, who is the principal of the Co-educational Colásite Iognáid, based at Sea Road in Galway City, who the High Court heard has brought proceedings because she is fearful of the reputation damage she will suffer over what she claims is a flawed disciplinary process.
On Friday her lawyers secured an interim injunction restraining the school’s board of Management from conducting a disciplinary hearing scheduled for Tuesday of this week at the school.
The school, which is one of Ireland’s Jesuit schools, has approximately 600 pupils.
The injunction was granted, on an ex-parte basis, by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan.
Seeking the injunction Marguerite Bolger SC for Ms Joyce said the Board initiated the disciplinary hearing last August after it furnished Ms Joyce with a report.
Counsel said the report was compiled by the board and made certain findings of fact in relation to Ms Joyce.
Counsel said such findings as contained in the report amounted to an “outrageous and fundamental breach of basic fair procedures.” Prior to the report being issued there had been no investigation, which was something which Mrs Joyce is entitled to, counsel said.
Counsel said Ms Joyce is a member of the school’s board of management and attended its meetings. Last April she was asked to excuse herself from a meeting, which she had objected to. A disciplinary meeting had been called by the board for next week while Ms Joyce had been asked to attend. Her lawyers asked that the meeting not proceed.
The board had not agreed to the request and as a result Ms Joyce had come to court to seek an injunction.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.