A primary school in the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly has discriminated against a teacher, according to the Equality Tribunal, and has been directed to pay €54,000 compensation.
The teacher had been working as deputy principal at the school for eight years when she applied for the job of principal in 2011, but the job was eventually given to a younger, less experienced and less qualified applicant.
The Equality Officer found the teacher had been discriminated against on the grounds of her age, but also found that she had been asked religiously discriminatory questions by the interview panel.
The panel consisted of two men and one “Sr B” who the teacher claimed had asked “what about the homos?” Sr B and the other interviewers denied that this question had ever been asked, but the Equality Officer Stephen Bonnlander said he was satisfied that Sr B had indeed asked this question.