Trojan Horse ‘ringleader’ launches appeal over ban
ONE of the alleged ringleaders of the Trojan Horse plot has launched a legal appeal against his ban from being involved in school management.
Tahir Alam, a former chairman of governors at the Park View School and trust in Alum Rock, was banned from holding any school leadership positions in future by the Department for Education in September 2015.
Officials concluded he had engaged in conduct aimed at undermining fundamental British values.
Mr Alam was allegedly one of the leading figures in the Trojan Horse plot, in which it was found the governors had attempted to impose an intolerant and aggressive Muslim ethos on secular inner-city state schools. This also included the segregation of boys and girls, antiWest rhetoric and intolerance of gay people and of other religions.
Mr Alam had always denied any such plot.
He has now challenged his ban at a specialist tribunal hearing in London, which is expected to last several days.
Lawyers representing Mr Alam and Education Secretary Justine Greening outlined rival arguments in written submissions to the tribunal.
Martin Chamberlain QC, who led Ms Greening’s legal team, said in late 2013 Birmingham City Council had received an anonymous “Trojan Horse” letter which described a strategy to take over a number of state schools in Birmingham and run them on “strict Islamic principles”.
Investigators found evidence of “co-ordinated, deliberate and sustained action, to introduce an intolerant and aggressive Islamic ethos” into a few schools in Birmingham.
Mr Chamberlain said Mr Alam – plus Park View School and the managing trust – were “at the centre” of what had happened.
Department officials had then imposed a school involvement ban on the grounds that Mr Alam’s behaviour had undermined British values.
Mr Alam argued that investigators had a “preconceived agenda” and had reached “unfair or inaccurate” conclusions
Mr Chamberlain said the tribunal would have to decide whether the ban was “appropriate”.