A Post-primary school principal was suspended from duties following allegations of emotional and physical abuse by students that took place over several years, reports RTE.
Child protection agency Tusla and gardaí are investigating the allegations, as is the Education and Training Board (ETB), which sponsors the school.
Allegations include the principal forcing an autistic student to partially undress in front of other students, removing a special toy used by autistic children as a sleep aid, inappropriate physical contact with students, hugging them and making them sit on their lap, and verbally abusing the children.
The school staff had sent a complaint to the ETB earlier this year.
Their complaint, seen by RTÉ News, details a number of incidents involving the director which were witnessed by named employees.
The school principal was placed on administrative leave following a letter of complaint to the local ETB.
Almost all school employees signed the letter.
The school’s principal told RTE News that the allegations were “completely false”.
“I have done my job with honesty and integrity and I have never abused anybody,” they said, reports RTE.
In the complaint, employees claim they had to “stripped” some students from the principal to protect them because these students were “deliberately targeted,” reports RTE.
The list included the account of a student with an intellectual disability who was “undressed” in class by the school’s principal “to put him in a shirt and tie”.
“This was done in the class in front of other students, he was groaning loudly and was clearly distressed.[One named student] was crying in the class watching this take place,” reports RTE.
The complaint states that “there have been a number of disturbing incidences that have taken place with [this] particular student”, including the principal “sitting on his lap to help him regulate”.
“When this student wanted to leave his chair, he was physically restrained by the principal and told he was not allowed to move. His stimming toys were taken from him.” Stimming toys are used by autistic children to help them self-regulate, reports RTE.
The child’s parents, who were unaware of the details of the staff complaint, spoke to RTÉ News about their own interactions with the principal and their complaints.
These include details of the principal’s disturbing phone calls to their mother, during which she can hear her worried son in the background or turn on the loudspeaker.
Her teenage son is nonverbal, but she said, “If you mention [the principal’s name] he says ‘no Mammy, no Mammy, no Mammy’,” reports RTE.
In the complaint, staff said some students appeared to be “targeted” by the principal.
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