The Tribune

THE principal at the centre of friction at Thelma Gibson Primary School has asked to take vacation leave beginning today, following a heated meeting with teachers, parents and administrators on Friday.

In a statement released yesterday, Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin said during that meeting, “varying concerns were expressed relative to an ongoing dispute between some of the teachers and the principal and also in respect of other general issues of concern at the school”.

Ms Hanna Martin said she has asked teachers who were at the meeting, but were previously absent from work due to the dispute, to continue classes today without further interruption.

She also said the principal, Olivia Daxon, has requested vacation leave with effect from today’s date, to which the ministry has agreed.

Meanwhile, Ms Daxon’s son took to social media to defend his mother after seeing her “name dragged through the mud” for weeks. In a Facebook post, he defended his mother’s character and career as an educator and also claimed his sister was accosted by a school faculty member at Friday’s meeting.

“Honestly I’m fed up, tired and outraged. I’ve kept my silence and sent up prayers for too long and nothing positive has come from that. My mother’s name has been dragged through the mud for weeks, due to fake news,” her son wrote, referring to an alleged incident with his mother and a teacher weeks ago.

Regarding Friday’s meeting, he said his sister attended to support their mother but was “physically attacked” by a faculty member. He said his sister made a police complaint.

Ongoing tensions between teachers at the school and the school’s principal continued last week with a number of workers allegedly calling in sick or refusing to show up to work.

Last Tuesday, a group of angered teachers from the school, led by Belinda Wilson, demonstrated outside the Office of the Prime Minister.

On Wednesday, the Bahamas Union of Teachers protested outside Parliament.

Last month, teachers at the school walked out of classes in anger after an alleged argument between the school’s principal and a teacher a day earlier. Mrs Wilson said the teacher has made a police report and the majority of the teachers at the school support her.