Mother wins compensation after headteacher insults gay son
A teacher at a primary school will receive compensation over homophobic comments made about her son’s sexuality by her boss.
A teacher from Ireland says she was discriminated against by the head at her school because her son is gay.
The mother says there was an ongoing issue of homophobia throughout her employment, with repeated comments made by the head “relating to her son’s sexual orientation.”
The teacher said that problems began after her boss – who denied the allegations – remarked that a “normal boy” would not spend an afternoon shopping for clothes, according to The Journal.
After her son made a speech at his nearby secondary school – in which he described himself as “gay and a genius” whilst wearing a pink blazer – the teacher says the head continued to make anti-gay comments about their family.
The complainant says her religious employer did not “believe that her son should be allowed to express his sexuality” and went on to criticise her parenting skills, saying she should force her son to act and dress in “a normal way.”
The head later asked the teacher why she did not stop her son from “behaving in such a way” and why any mother would want a son “like that.”
The teacher says her boss continued to discriminate against her, undermining her decisions and threatening to suspend her contract.
She added that the principal expressed a “very cold attitude” towards her and repeatedly dismissed her concerns.
The Equality Tribunal ruled in favour of the teacher, awarding the mother €3,000 (£2,200/$3,200) and ordering all staff and members of the board of management at the school to participate in training on equality, discrimination and harassment.
