A teaching assistant has been awarded more than £16,000 in compensation after being wrongly sacked over claims she used the F-word in the playground.
Paula Williams, 45, was dismissed from Bridgetown Primary School in Cannock after it was alleged she had sworn in the playground and posted inappropriate photographs on Facebook. She refuted the claims, and took her case to an employment tribunal, where it was upheld.
The school's headteacher Joanna Raybould told the hearing that Williams' behaviour had affected her 'health and confidence' and had impacted on 'the whole atmosphere at the school'.
The tribunal heard that Williams was accused of using the phrase 'sexy beast' when speaking to a child, and taking a book called 'I Shot My Daddy' on a school swimming trip.
Tribunal chairman David Ansti upheld Williams' claim of unfair dismissal and said the school had failed to give her adequate guidelines on what language she could use at work, and failed to verify the statement of an alleged witness to the swearing.
He also said no ICT policy had been breached concerning the Facebook photos, but added that it would not be appropriate for Williams to be reinstated in her job as she had admitted she was also 'at fault'.
After the hearing, Miss Williams told the Birmingham Mail that said she believed there had been a campaign to remove her from the school.
"I think there was a personal aspect to it but all I wanted was for the governors to be more proactive and take responsibility for what was happening," she said, adding that she was glad 'a line has been drawn and it is over'.