A CLEANER WHO suffered “egregious treatment” by being sacked by a special needs primary school in Dublin for allegedly leaving a bucket of water containing bleach in a hallway has been awarded €5,000 in compensation.

The Workplace Relations Commission ruled that there was “a complete absence of fair procedures” in the manner in which the board of management of Our Lady of Hope School in Crumlin had dismissed Christina Doyle from her job as a cleaner.

The school had claimed that there was no dismissal after Ms Doyle had resigned after she had been confronted by the school’s principal over a bucket of water containing bleach being left in a hallway.

Even if the WRC had deemed the school had terminated the cleaner’s contract, the school argued it was fair because of Ms Doyle’s conduct in leaving a bucket containing hazardous material where students with autism could access it, as well as her threatening behaviour towards the principal.

Ms Doyle told the WRC that she had worked at the school for two hours every day for over two years.

She outlined how on the day of her dismissal she was approached by the school’s principal who asked her to go to his office where he informed her about leaving a bucket of water with bleach in a hallway the previous Friday.

Ms Doyle said she was given two weeks’ notice by the principal who claimed the incident represented a serious health and safety risk.

She denied being responsible and asked to see CCTV footage from the hallway, but the principal stated he did not have time at that junction and became very agitated.

The cleaner pointed out that teachers and carers would occasionally be required to mop up after an incident and one of them could inadvertently have left out the bucket.

Ms Doyle said she suffered a serious panic attack over what happened and stated she had to leave immediately.

The WRC heard she was unable to work out her notice as she suffers from anxiety and the incident had completely overwhelmed her and she handed in a sick certificate.

Ms Doyle said her son and daughter were treated with disdain and fobbed off when they went to the school later that day and requested a copy of the school’s health and safety policy, as well as CCTV footage of the incident and their mother’s employment contract.

They were told by the deputy principal that the principal was very busy and could not discuss the matter with them.

Ms Doyle claimed she could not understand why she was unfairly dismissed as her contract stipulated that there was a process to go through if there were any performance issues.

However, counsel for the school’s board of management, Claire Bruton BL, claimed Ms Doyle had not been dismissed but that she had resigned her job on 13 November, 2023.

Ms Bruton said the incident with the bucket of water containing bleach was extremely concerning as it was a school for children with autism.

She said the principal had identified Ms Doyle from CCTV footage as being responsible for leaving the bucket in the hallway but only wished to bring the matter to her attention rather than discipline her.

Ms Bruton said the cleaner had replied with expletives and threatened the principal before throwing her keys to the school on a table which he found extremely disturbing and upsetting.

She told the WRC that a few minutes later in his office after he expressed concern about the way she had spoken to him Ms Doyle had remarked: “I am out of here. I am done”.

Ms Bruton said the principal had taken this to be a resignation and had replied that he would ensure she would receive all outstanding pay and holidays.

The WRC heard that the principal did not reply to subsequent correspondence from the complainant seeking various material as he was still fearful of her.

WRC adjudication officer, Valerie Murtagh, was informed the principal was not attending the WRC hearing because he was “in fear for his life” because of a death threat made to him by the complainant.

However, Ms Murtagh said she found the explanation implausible and lacking in credibility as it was a remote hearing.

She observed that she had found Ms Doyle and her daughter to be polite and respectful to all parties and they had provided compelling testimony which was “cogent, consistent and convincing.”

Ms Murtagh said the cleaner had denied leaving the bucket in the hallway and had not been provided with the CCTV footage she had requested.

The WRC official noted that Ms Doyle claimed she suffered a panic attack and had given the keys to the principal after she claimed he had started shouting at her and banging his chest when he raised the issue of the bucket.

Based on the evidence, Ms Murtagh said she was satisfied that the complainant was unfairly dismissed due to “a complete absence of fair procedures” and ordered the school to pay her €5,000 in compensation.