Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
School bully sentenced
Ulster head tells of harassment hell
THE principal of a primary school has spoken out after a pupil’s parent was sentenced for harassing her.
The court heard how Julie Thomas was repeatedly verbally abused by Gerard Knight.
He took photos of her outside Clandeboye Primary School in Co Down and once showed up at her home.
On another occasion he allegedly shouted at her: “If this school was run by a man it would be better.”
Knight allegedly shouted and swore at the principal’s husband as he collected their daughter from primary school.
Ms Thomas said she never anticipated she would have to go through something like this.
Knight was given a suspended sentence after being found guilty of harassing Ms Thomas between April 2016 and June last year.
The 38-year-old, from Cayman Drive in Bangor, had pleaded not guilty last October but on Wednesday was convicted by a judge at Ards Magistrates’ Court.
Speaking after Knight was sentenced to four months in jail suspended for three years, Ms Thomas said she was relieved.
She added: “I was quite shocked at the severity of the sentence but it made me realise what I had been going through and how difficult and serious the case had been.
“I think the judge highlighted the seriousness of the behaviour experienced here because I was going through it for so long. I was beginning to doubt myself with taking the case forward. We do feel a huge sense of relief in school today.”
Ms Thomas said she had been inundated with calls and emails of support from other principals across the country
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who had also experienced harassment and added her case had given them confidence to do something about it.
She said: “We take bullying in school very seriously and are always educating the children with how to deal with it and not to put up with it.
“I was putting up with it from a third party outside school and I think this sends an important message to the children – if something is wrong you should stand up to it.”
Ms Thomas added it had been emotional reliving the experience in court and she also had to implement extra security measures at her home and at the school following the harassment. She said: “I have a young daughter who is at school with me and while safety for all pupils is important, it is important she feels safe at home, my husband and her.”
Ms Thomas added lessons could be learned when it came to the health and well-being of head teachers.
She said she felt “alone and vulnerable both physically and emotionally” and added the Education Authority should look at putting steps in place to support teachers in her position.
The judge imposed a restraining order on Knight, saying: “This lady has suffered from him for a long time and it has got to stop.”
Knight said he was “not an aggressive person” and had apologised in writing for questioning the principal’s ability to do her job because she was a woman.
A defence lawyer said his client had no memory of stopping outside the teacher’s address and denied shouting at her husband while he was picking up their daughter.