Court gags Jarrett in JC admin-old boys dispute
THE SUPREME Court has encouraged the management of Jamaica College (JC) and its Old Boys’ Association President Major Basil Jarrett to settle their ongoing feud through other means, following a months-long quarrel that has spilled over into the public space.
The court also granted an interim injunction against Jarrett, preventing him from making allegations against nine people, including acting Principal Wayne Robinson, Board Chairman Michael Bernard, and Board Vice Chairman Lance Hylton.
The injunction was sought by the school board in its defamation case against Jarrett arising from statements he allegedly made in 2021 and 2022.
Jarrett is stridently opposing the claim.
The injunction restrains Jarrett, “whether by himself, his servants, agents or otherwise from publishing, republishing or causing to be published the allegations about the claimants that he published on November 29, 2021, February 28, 2022, March 10, 2022, March 28, 2022 and April 16, 2022 or similar words until September 22, 2022 or further order of the court”.
The court said that if Jarrett failed to comply with the terms of the order, he would be held in contempt of court and may be liable to be imprisoned or to have his assets confiscated.
“Obviously, we respect the judge’s opinion, but we are more focused and encouraged right now on the part of the injunction which encouraged both parties to seek mediation. Let’s not gloss over this important breakthrough as it is something that we have been pushing for, for quite some time now. We are genuinely hopeful, therefore, that these persons will actually give it some consideration and come to the table,” Jarrett told The Gleaner yesterday.
Several calls by our newsroom to Robinson’s cell phone went unanswered yesterday.
Jarrett has been entangled in a public spat with the leadership of the school since late last year over the handling of former Principal Ruel Reid’s departure from the school.
Reid resigned as minister of education, youth and information in 2019 shortly before being slapped with fraud and corruption charges. He had spent three years on secondment to the ministry and eventually cut a multimillion-dollar severance deal in 2021.