International School Toulouse - Injustice

[Juan Carlos]

I cannot see on what grounds can John be sued. All the same, I think that EHELP team must support him.

The current development is getting us far away from our aims: to help Richard, our coordinator, to be reinstated in his post and to keep EHELP alive until the legal end of the project.

[Tanya Carlile]

The postponed hearing has been reset for the 26th March 2007.

Do not fear, it's just one of those games where you have to throw a 6 before you can begin to play.

[John Geraghty]

As a show of solidarity with the students in Toulouse and Richard Jones Nerzic, I am going to write a piece for my College newspaper (I'm also the editor) on this matter. I will also bring it to the attention of my students union and try to coerce them into writing a message of solidarity and protest at the sacking of Mr.Jones Nerzic. This, afterall, is what unions are there to do, to show solidarity.

The newspaper publishes online at http://www.maynoothadvocate.com and the article will appear there by the Monday the 12th of March. I will see if the various indymedia sites would be willing to use my article so that it can be brought to a wider audience.

John Geraghty

Edited March 2, 2007 by John Geraghty

[Lou Phillips]

I am coming rather late to this discussion, but I wanted to add my support.

In 1993 I was a timid 11 year old starting secondary school. I was placed in Richard Jones' form (1R), and also his history class. I was already interested in the subject but his teaching and support captured my enthusiasm. My second and third years were spent in the classes of other teachers (who I remember as awful, of what I can remember) before having him again for GCSE.

Richard is an inspirational teacher, and one of the main reasons I do what I do today. I have tried to emulate his methods in my own classes- setting up a history club, showing films and playing music relating to the topics for example. I'll never forget the time he brought in his guitar and had us all singing along to Billy Bragg as an example of protest music! I have him to thank for starting my obsession for the Spanish Civil War- a topic I revisited in my IB extended essay and led me to get a 1st in my undergraduate dissertation. Through his "History fim club" he ran during our GCSEs I saw for the first time so of my now favourite films (Some like it Hot, Land and Freedom).

It angers and saddens me that this has happened.

[Tanya Carlile]

At the request of the the Airbus lawyers, the hearing today has been postponed, for a third time, until the 16th April 2007.

[Hannah Thompson]

Are there any specific reasons that anyone knows about for this decision?

[John Simkin]

Are there any specific reasons that anyone knows about for this decision?

Maybe to increase the stress and anxiety of those involved in this dispute.

[Hannah Thompson]

Well, they can't postpone the court case again - the school is going to have to face the music at some point. This tactic of delaying things, hoping that people will forget about it all, is going to run out.........Even I can see that.

[Tanya Carlile]

Richard and I have received letters calling us to hearings with the prud'homme on Monday 2nd July 2007 at 9 a.m. which happens to fall nicely in the summer holidays.

I also received this week ( busy week) a reply from the chairman of the board of governors to my request sent in December, asking for a meeting to appeal their decision to dismiss me. Like Richard I had no legal representation, nor was I invited to be present when Mr Albiston told his version of events to the board. The reply translated from french was 'the decision of the board is definitive'. I think that must mean no. Oh well, roll on the 2nd of July.

[Hannah Thompson]

Did they give any reasons for their 'definitive' decision? Forgive me if I am wrong, but I thought that dismissals had to be backed up with some sort of explicit reason/gross misconduct?? At the very least an excuse??? Even after all this time, I'm still really angry about the whole thing.....the silence from the school and its 'supporters'/'people who are close to the school and could do something but are not doing'... or however I should call them, is infuriating......

Wish I could say something concrete to help.

[Alan Webb]

Just out of curiosity, did anything more come out of the threats of legal action against members of this forum for their posts in defence of Richard and Tanya? Has anyone actually been sued?

[Richard Jones-Nerzic]

Tanya’s offence was to have accidentally forwarded an email of an ‘adult’ nature to a class of 13 and 14 year olds. (I have attached a copy of this email below for you to judge for yourself the ‘adult’ nature of it.) The IST is a laptop school in which email communication between staff and students is routine; the implication of Tanya’s dismissal for all staff was therefore massive. With permission I photocopied Tanya’s letter of dismissal in order to fulfil her wish that staff understood the actual ‘grounds’ for her sacking. This was because at no point did the school explain to staff, students or parents why Tanya was dismissed. They still haven't. She was merely physically escorted off the premises and we were told she was no longer employed at the school. Incidentally, the same silence has accompanied my own dismissal, although as I was dismissed on the 23rd of December there was no need to escort me off the premises.

Today, Halloween, seems an appropriate time to begin the updating of the case for members of the Education Forum. This afternoon Tanya's case was heard in the courts and I'm sure there are a lot of people here who will wish her the best of luck. It has always been my view that she was unfairly dismissed (a belief that ultimately got me in to trouble) and I am yet to meet someone other than Albiston and his lawyers who disagrees with me. I was interviewed for a significant number of positions before the British International School of Bratislva decided to take a chance on me, and in every interview with a head teacher the case of Tanya came up. Not one head teacher considered Albiston's actions remotely appropriate.

The verdict is expected sometime in January.

My own case was postponed this time at our request. Albiston's lawyers presented their conclusions so late it was impossible for us to assemble and coordinate our riposte from here in Slovakia and our lawyers in Toulouse. We now have to wait until March before our hearing and we fully expect Albiston to request a postponement on that occasion.

In answer to Alan's enquiry, no one has yet been sued for defamation but the evidence provided by Albiston's lawyers in his case against me, included a significant amount preparation for a criminal prosecution of John, myself and IST students last January and April.

[Richard Jones-Nerzic]

In answer to Alan's enquiry, no one has yet been sued for defamation but the evidence provided by Albiston's lawyers in his case against me, included a significant amount preparation for a criminal prosecution of John, myself and IST students last January and April.

France is notorious for its protection of individual privacy at the expense of freedom of expression. Yesterday's decision in favour of Wikipedia is therefore a landmark in Internet law.

PARIS (Reuters) - A French judge has dismissed a defamation and privacy case against Wikipedia after ruling the free online encyclopedia was not responsible for information introduced onto its Web site.

The U.S.-based Wikipedia Foundation, which is behind the popular compendium, was sued by three French nationals over a Wikipedia article that said they were gay activists.

Judge Emmanuel Binoche ruled that a 2004 French law limited Wikipedia's liability and noted that contentious references in the disputed article had in any case been removed.

"Web site hosts cannot be liable under civil law because of information stored on them if they do not in fact know of their illicit nature," Binoche said in his written ruling released at the Paris civil law court earlier this week.

Moreover, Web site hosts are not legally bound to monitor or investigate the origin of the information they store, he added.

Binoche did not rule on the whether the information contained in the article was defamatory and dismissed the plaintiffs' claim for damages.

A legal expert quoted by the Le Monde daily on Friday said it was the first legal case in Europe against Wikipedia, which was founded in 2001.

http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNew...me=internetNews

[John Simkin]

In answer to Alan's enquiry, no one has yet been sued for defamation but the evidence provided by Albiston's lawyers in his case against me, included a significant amount preparation for a criminal prosecution of John, myself and IST students last January and April.

France is notorious for its protection of individual privacy at the expense of freedom of expression. Yesterday's decision in favour of Wikipedia is therefore a landmark in Internet law.

PARIS (Reuters) - A French judge has dismissed a defamation and privacy case against Wikipedia after ruling the free online encyclopedia was not responsible for information introduced onto its Web site.

The U.S.-based Wikipedia Foundation, which is behind the popular compendium, was sued by three French nationals over a Wikipedia article that said they were gay activists.

Judge Emmanuel Binoche ruled that a 2004 French law limited Wikipedia's liability and noted that contentious references in the disputed article had in any case been removed.

"Web site hosts cannot be liable under civil law because of information stored on them if they do not in fact know of their illicit nature," Binoche said in his written ruling released at the Paris civil law court earlier this week.

Moreover, Web site hosts are not legally bound to monitor or investigate the origin of the information they store, he added.

Binoche did not rule on the whether the information contained in the article was defamatory and dismissed the plaintiffs' claim for damages.

A legal expert quoted by the Le Monde daily on Friday said it was the first legal case in Europe against Wikipedia, which was founded in 2001.

http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNew...me=internetNews

This mirrors a case that took place in the UK recently. Les Albiston has never contacted me concerning anything I have posted on this forum. Until he tells me that I have posted anything that is untrue I do not have to remove it.

[Richard Jones-Nerzic]

Tanya’s offence was to have accidentally forwarded an email of an ‘adult’ nature to a class of 13 and 14 year olds. (I have attached a copy of this email below for you to judge for yourself the ‘adult’ nature of it.) The IST is a laptop school in which email communication between staff and students is routine; the implication of Tanya’s dismissal for all staff was therefore massive. With permission I photocopied Tanya’s letter of dismissal in order to fulfil her wish that staff understood the actual ‘grounds’ for her sacking. This was because at no point did the school explain to staff, students or parents why Tanya was dismissed. They still haven't. She was merely physically escorted off the premises and we were told she was no longer employed at the school. Incidentally, the same silence has accompanied my own dismissal, although as I was dismissed on the 23rd of December there was no need to escort me off the premises.

Today, Halloween, seems an appropriate time to begin the updating of the case for members of the Education Forum. This afternoon Tanya's case was heard in the courts and I'm sure there are a lot of people here who will wish her the best of luck. It has always been my view that she was unfairly dismissed (a belief that ultimately got me in to trouble) and I am yet to meet someone other than Albiston and his lawyers who disagrees with me. I was interviewed for a significant number of positions before the British International School of Bratislava decided to take a chance on me, and in every interview with a head teacher the case of Tanya came up. Not one head teacher considered Albiston's actions remotely appropriate.

And neither, at last, does the French Justice system consider his actions to be appropriate either. After nearly two years since Tanya was dismissed from the IST, I am pleased to announce that she has finally won her case for unfair dismissal. The result in my own case is due later next month.