The receptionist at a school in Devon may face dismissal for misconduct after she allegedly made claims against the school and its staff. Jennie Cain’s 5-year-old daughter was reprimanded by a teacher after she was overheard discussing Jesus and Heaven with a class-mate. She met her mother in tears after school, who subsequently approached the teacher to discuss it outside school hours, and thus in her capacity as a parent rather than a fellow staff member.
The next day she was called into the principal’s office, ostensibly for another reason but the incident involving her daughter was soon raised. “He started talking about my daughter about how he wasn’t happy about her making statements about her faith”, she said. “At that point I froze, I felt very small and I felt trapped as I was a junior member of staff.”
Feeling intimidated, Mrs Cain sent an email that weekend from her home computer to ten church-going friends, requesting that they pray for her family, the church and the school. A few days later she was summoned again to the principal’s office who, armed with a printed copy of the email, accused her of making allegations against the school and its staff to members of the public. He refused to tell her how he obtained the email and, while not suspending her, initiated an investigation into the matter to be conducted by two of the school’s governors, who would gather statements and contact witnesses. She was informed possible disciplinary action may include dismissal.
Mrs Cain is bewildered by these events, especially as the school celebrates Christmas with carols, and observes the Hindu festival of Divali. She described herself as a “quiet Christian” who would never force her beliefs upon others. Recently a nurse, Caroline Petrie, was suspended for two months after offering to pray for a patient. She was finally allowed back to work last week.
Her case is being supported by the Christian Institute, a spokesman for whom, Mike Judge, views this sort of nonsense as “persecution” of Christians. Perhaps a more pertinent question is how the school was able to obtain a copy of a personal email. The ten recipients were all members of Mrs Cain’s church and, presumably, sympathetic to her cause and thus unlikely to forward it to the principal. This sort of invasion of privacy seems to me much more of a worry than the “public” allegations she stands accused of, which were really just a private concern sent to a few friends in the form of a prayer request.
via Caroline Gammell ‘Primary school receptionist “facing sack” after daughter talks about Jesus to classmate‘, The Daily Telegraph (UK).
