City rejects former principal’s appeal over dismissal

Uusikaupunki City Board has rejected the former principal of Wintter School’s appeal against his dismissal, Yle reports. The principal was dismissed earlier this year over alleged harassment involving pupils and employees.

The former principal denied the grounds for his dismissal and sought to have the decision overturned and reconsidered. He argued, among other things, that the official who made the dismissal decision was disqualified from handling the matter and that the employer’s procedure had been unlawful.

The city said the dismissal was justified by eight separate instances of conduct involving inappropriate behaviour, failure to follow the employer’s instructions, unequal treatment and breaches of the duties associated with his public post.

According to the city, the principal had agreed during hearings to refrain from hugging members of the work community. The city said this restriction was not fully followed.

The city also said it had reliably established that the principal had touched pupils in ways that included pulling them under his arm in a manner comparable to hugging, stroking their hair, holding them against their will and giving unwanted greetings.

The principal said he had not touched pupils inappropriately.

The city’s education department learned about the conduct involving pupils after Yle reported on it. The dismissal was preceded by two warnings issued last autumn. The dismissal decision was made by the director of education.

Wintter is a school for about 800 pupils in Uusikaupunki.