After four years of legal battles, Dr Marjorie Fullerton has resumed her role as principal of Merl Grove High School following a Supreme Court ruling ordering her reinstatement in March this year.

Fullerton was present at the St Andrew-based institution as early as 7:00 am on Thursday but declined to speak to the media.

She was accompanied by two-time past president and assistant general secretary of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, Doran Dixon, who said Dr Fullerton is happy to be back on the job and is focused on continuing her contribution to education and national development.

“Dr Fullerton is happy to be back in her substantive role as principal and she looks forward to continuing to do what she would have been doing before the situation was disrupted contributing to national development and making sure that the nation’s children receive as good an education as possible,” Dixon said.

Dixon, while noting that it has been a long process, said justice has been served for the educator.

A view of Merl Grove High School in StAndrew.

“As a union, the Jamaica Teachers’ Association is always wanting to ensure that justice is done and in this case, justice has been done and we are happy that she was vindicated. We look forward to her continuing to be a good educator,” Dixon said. “We respect the court. We respect the process and we are always convinced of the court’s ability to make a balanced, fair judgment. So we’re always happy when teachers are vindicated.”

Fullerton has been at the centre of a long-standing dispute at the institution dating back to 2022, when she was removed by the school board following a recommendation from the school’s personnel committee. This, after the personnel committee’s submission of its report, stating that charges against her were proven at a hearing that followed her September 10, 2021 suspension.

READ: Merl Grove board votes to dismiss principal

However, the Supreme Court ordered her reinstatement in March, a ruling that marked a setback for the school board, the Ministry of Education and the Associated Gospel Assemblies (AGA) Church, which owns the institution. All had upheld her dismissal following a dispute with staff over her leadership style.

READ: Dr Fullerton’s back!