TEACHERS at Montego Bay Community College are once again embroiled in a dispute over procedure with their board of management concerning their failure to attend a professional development seminar held on July 2, 2018.

The matter was thought to have been resolved when the seven teachers were reimbursed amounts that were previously docked from their salaries for failing to attend the seminar. However, in a November 22, 2018 letter teachers were told that they are being charged under the Education Regulations 1980.

The teachers are being charged with “neglect of duties”.

“You are hereby notified to attend a hearing of the personnel committee of the Board of Management on December 7, 2018 in the college’s conference room. Please be advised that the hearing will be held under the Education Act 1980,” the letter, a copy of which the Jamaica Observer obtained, read.

The letter, sent by the school’s board of management, stated that if found guilty the teachers are likely to face penalties.

“You are notified that the penalties that may be imposed if the charges are proven are as follows: i) that you are to be admonished or censured; or ii) in the case of charges relating to a second or subsequent breach of discipline, that subject to the approval of the minister, a sum not exceeding fifty dollars be deducted from your salary; or iii) that you be demoted if you hold a post of special responsibility; or iv) that your appointment as a teacher with this institution be terminated.

“Note that you have the right to have a friend or your attorney appear and make representation on your behalf to the committee at the hearing. If you intend to be represented by an attorney-at-law you are required to give written notice of such intention to the chairman or secretary of the board not less than seven days before the date of hearing,” the letter over the signature of Board Chairman Nathan Robb said.

But the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) has taken issue with the notice for a hearing and has requested documentation of procedures followed up to the time of a hearing notice.

In a letter to Robb, JTA Regional Officer-West Clayton Hall said: “I am in receipt of letter dated November 22, 2018 and hereby indicate my intent to participate in the matter as friend of the above captioned [teacher]. In order to prepare for the occasion please provide the following for preparation purposes: 1. Letter of complaint against [teacher]. 2. Minutes of board meeting which received said complaint. 3. Minutes of personnel committee which decided on the charges. 4. All and any document or evidence to be relied on during the meeting. 5. A list of all persons to be called as evidence. 6. Full disclosure of any information you have relevant to this matter.”

Last evening, when the Observer contacted school principal Dr Maureen Nelson she declined to comment.

The Observer spoke to sources close to the matter and was told that the documents being requested by the JTA do not exist.

“Because they had to give them back the money, the same day they did that they charged them. They are now jumping to a hearing without following procedures. So they would not have the documents the JTA has requested. There should have been a committee to hear the concern to decide if it is grave enough to have a hearing or if it is just a minor issue that should go to that level,” the source said.

“They (teachers) are saying they (administration) are unprofessional. They believe they are doing things out of real hatred now because they say they are not following procedures, and because they are sitting in high seats they think that they can just do these things,” the source added.

The teachers had threatened to take legal action against the school if the sum deducted from their salaries had not been returned.

The teachers insist that the day in question formed part of the summer break and that the seminar should not have been mandatory.

The Observer had obtained documents circulated among Dr Nelson, the staff members, and the JTA about the matter.

The JTA representative urged the Ministry of Education to intervene.

When contacted by the Observer, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education Dean-Roy Bernard had said that he had met with the school board and principal and had advised the teachers’ JTA representative that the correspondence would be out that week.