A teacher who was sacked for missing a mandatory staff meeting to talk with family about her elderly mother's cancer, has been awarded almost £17,000 in compensation.
Dr Jacqueline Dumigan, who worked at The Mount School, in Edgerton, Huddersfield, for 24 years, was told she had to attend the meeting, scheduled for her day off, an employment tribunal heard.
But the teacher had to meet family members to discuss her 90-year-old mother who had recently been diagnosed with cancer.
After not attending she was promptly told she had lost her job, but an employment tribunal awarded her £16,800.
Dr Dumigan received the following email from the owner of the school, Christopher Sellers: "Every employed member of staff is to attend a full staff meeting on Monday at 1.40pm in the ICT room.
“All children are to be registered for the afternoon and then taken to the hall where they will watch a film, supervised by supply staff.
"This is not an optional meeting. If you are not contracted to be on-site at this time, you are still required at this meeting. No exceptions. The meeting will last one hour maximum," YorkshireLive reported.
The panel was told her Dr Dumigan’s family gathering was planned some time in advance, leaving her unable to rearrange it.
She responded to Mr Sellers email but didn’t tell him the importance of the family gathering.
He responded and told her the meeting wasn’t optional and she had to attend.
But she reiterated that wouldn’t be possible and he stressed again it wasn’t an optional meeting.
On the following day, December 12, 2021, she again emailed back to Mr Sellers by email and told him that she was not free and was therefore unable to attend the meeting.
Mr Sellers then sent an email stating "resignation accepted" and Dr Dumigan responded clarifying she hadn’t resigned.
However, she then received an email from Mr Sellers thanking her for "clearing up any avoidance of doubt". He went on to inform her that the email was formal notice that her employment was to cease.
The claimant was told that she would be paid until the February half-term and was not required to attend school any further.
The panel heard that Mr Sellers described Dr Dumigan as "one of the most difficult members of staff to have worked with over four years".
He admitted a "failing on his behalf" in not carrying out a formal investigation into the matter.
Employment Judge Amir Jaleel concluded that Dr Dumigan, who was also involved in running a separate gin business, had been unfairly dismissed.
The Mount School has been approached for comment.
