Tory teacher 'sent home for mocking pupil' and not for her political views, academy tells tribunal

A deputy head forced out of her school after speaking at the Conservative Party conference was disciplined for mocking a student and not for her political views, a tribunal heard.

Katharine Birbalsingh, 37, was sent home from St Michael and All Angels Academy two days after her explosive speech criticising Labour's education policies last October.

Ms Birbalsingh said she was forced to resign from the school in Southwark after claiming the Labour government had failed black students.

The former deputy head, who was at the school for three weeks before resigning, is suing the school and five staff members including executive head Irene Bishop for racial discrimination and unfair dismissal.

Ms Birbalsingh claims she was forced out because "she stood up for black students".

But Tariq Sadiq, counsel for the school, told the London South employment tribunal that Ms Birbalsingh was sent home because she had shown a picture of a pupil in school uniform at the conference and ridiculed him.

Mr Sadiq said: "It is the respondent's view that she was sent home because she used a photo of a pupil, identified him and then told an anecdote to a crowd that exposed him to ridicule."

Mr Sadiq said her speech was not protected by public disclosure because she used it as publicity for her book, To Miss With Love, based on an anonymous blog about life in an inner-city comprehensive, which brought her financial gain. He asked for her case to be rejected.

Patrick Green, for Ms Birbalsingh, said she was told the school governors were "very angry" with her speech and the damage it had done to the school.

The tribunal panel reserved their decision on whether the case should be allowed to continue.