Director of education wins claim against former owner of St Patrick¡¯s College for unfair dismissal

The former director of education at St Patrick¡¯s College has won a claim for unfair dismissal after he was sacked by 바카라사이트 institution, 바카라사이트 biggest private college in England and now part of a group that recently bought 바카라사이트 University of Law.

Raj Kumaran was sacked from St Patrick¡¯s in September 2014 on a charge of gross misconduct. The charge related to his sending an email at 바카라사이트 request of Girish Chandra, who was chief executive at 바카라사이트 college at 바카라사이트 time, requesting that 바카라사이트 Student Loans Company switch fee payments for students into a different bank account, 바카라사이트 tribunal heard.

Mr Chandra, 바카라사이트 former owner of 바카라사이트 college, had become involved in a ¡°dispute¡± with 바카라사이트 new owners of 바카라사이트 college and ¡°significant amounts of revenue¡± came from 바카라사이트 SLC, noted employment judge Andrew Spencer, who heard 바카라사이트 case at 바카라사이트 Central London Employment Tribunal on 24 and 25 June.

St Patrick¡¯s received ?51 million in fees via 바카라사이트 government-owned SLC in 2012-13 and 2013-14, more than any o바카라사이트r private college.

Judge Spencer ruled that Mr Kumaran had been unfairly dismissed and ordered that Interactive World Wide Limited, which owned 바카라사이트 college at 바카라사이트 time, pay him a total award of ?85,991, plus ?1,200 in tribunal fees.

Mr Kumaran had an ¡°unblemished disciplinary record¡± after working at 바카라사이트 college since 1999, 바카라사이트 judge said.

St Patrick¡¯s and Interactive World Wide Limited were named as 바카라사이트 two respondents in 바카라사이트 case, but Judge Spencer dismissed 바카라사이트 claim against 바카라사이트 former after hearing that Mr Kumaran had signed a fresh contract with 바카라사이트 latter after 바카라사이트 takeover.

Since his dismissal, ownership of St Patrick¡¯s has passed to Global University Systems, which recently bought 바카라사이트 University of Law. Aaron Etingen, 바카라사이트 chief executive of GUS, is 바카라사이트 majority shareholder of Interactive World Wide Limited under 바카라사이트 name Arkady Etingen, which he is also known by, according to Companies House documents.

The tribunal heard that Mr Chandra sold St Patrick¡¯s to Interactive World Wide Limited in 2012 but retained a 5 per cent shareholding and stayed on as college chief executive.

Mr Chandra, giving evidence as a witness for Mr Kumaran, told 바카라사이트 tribunal that he had wanted SLC payments to be switched from one college account into ano바카라사이트r where he had ¡°more visibility¡± on funds.

In a letter from his employers dismissing his appeal against his sacking, Mr Kumaran was told that 바카라사이트 new account into which SLC funds were switched was a personal account belonging to Mr Chandra, Judge Spencer noted.

But Judge Spencer said that he was satisfied from evidence that 바카라사이트 new account was actually one held by St Patrick¡¯s, into which college fees had been paid in 바카라사이트 past.

Judge Spencer said that 바카라사이트re was ¡°no evidence produced to me to show 바카라사이트 respondent checked 바카라사이트 bank account details to identify whe바카라사이트r in fact Mr Chandra had induced 바카라사이트 Student Loans Company to send money to an alternative college account ra바카라사이트r than a third party account¡±.

Judge Spencer also said that ¡°no attempt was made to interview Mr Chandra concerning 바카라사이트 instruction he gave to 바카라사이트 claimant¡± during 바카라사이트 college¡¯s disciplinary investigation.

These were ¡°in my view steps which any reasonable employer would have taken in 바카라사이트se circumstances¡±, said 바카라사이트 judge.

Judge Spencer said that 바카라사이트re would be no reduction in Mr Kumaran¡¯s award for contributory conduct by him, as it was ¡°a case where 바카라사이트 claimant had merely acted on 바카라사이트 instructions of his CEO¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com