Teacher sacked in storm over ‘sexy uniforms’ wins battle to clear her name

A DEPUTY headmistress who was disciplined for her alleged involvement in a website selling sexy schoolgirl uniforms – as well as whistle blowing over alleged attacks at the school where she worked – has won her claim for unfair dismissal.

Linda Ross, 58, from Dundee, launched an employment tribunal against Dundee City Council last year after being dismissed for gross misconduct from Longhaugh Primary School.

Her solicitor, John Muir, said yesterday that Mrs Ross had been told that the tribunal had ruled in her favour. It is understood that her former employers at Dundee City Council could now be facing a five-figure compensation claim.

“Mrs Ross is obviously delighted that the judgment went in her favour,” Mr Muir said. “I would hope that what happened to a dedicated teacher will not be allowed to happen again.”

Mrs Ross was suspended from her post as deputy head of Sidlaw Primary in Dundee in 2007 after her husband made allegations in the media of regular attacks by pupils on teachers and of violent parents wandering the corridors of the school.

Mr Ross claimed staff had been verbally and physically attacked almost daily, and that some had been bitten, struck on the head, kicked, spat on and “threatened with sharp objects”.

He also claimed that teachers were being verbally and physically threatened with violence by parents who wandered into the 167-pupil school at will and that police had been called to quell a “riot” involving two families.

During two disciplinary hearings, Mrs Ross was accused of breaking council rules by being the source of the allegations and distributing unauthorised material to staff.

She was suspended for five months before being told by senior education officials that she would keep her post as a deputy head under condition that she transferred to another primary.

Mrs Ross was transferred to Longhaugh as depute head but she was suspended again in June 2008 and then dismissed for gross misconduct four months later. It later emerged that she had been sacked over her alleged links to a website, set up by her husband, with adverts selling sexy schoolgirl uniforms for adults. The site showed a model wearing a see-through crop-top and a plaid miniskirt with a matching tie and gloves. Other items for sale included a kinky policewoman’s outfit.

In March this year, Mrs Ross was struck off the General Teaching Council for Scotland register over allegations of “placing content of an inappropriate nature on a website”.

She did not attend the council’s hearing and said at the time that her teaching career was “history” and she wanted to concentrate on clearing her name.

Mrs Ross, who lives in Forfar, declined to comment on the ruling yesterday. Her husband, Vic, 66, said: “All I can say is that I am absolutely delighted for my wife.

“I always maintained the truth would prevail in the end, and at long last it has.

“I would like to thank everyone who believed in us and gave us their support over the years. I’m ecstatic with the good news.”

The employment tribunal, sitting in Dundee, heard that a series of allegations against the teacher had been found proved, including claims she was involved in selling inappropriate adult clothing on a website, and that the site had a direct link to pornographic material, including X-rated schoolgirl uniforms.

Both Mr and Mrs Ross gave evidence, insisting that Mrs Ross was not involved in the running of any website and that the pornography claim was false. Mrs Ross said she had been through an “absolute nightmare” and accused Anne Wilson, the council’s education director at the time, of acting as “judge, jury and executioner” in her case.

A spokesman for Dundee City Council confirmed that the employment tribunal had ruled in Mrs Ross’s favour, but said no further details would be released until later.

He continued: “Dundee City Council has received the preliminary findings of the tribunal and is awaiting details of the full judgment.”