Former Milton Keynes College lecturers lose legal claims for unfair dismissal

Alleged malpractices of college policies involving qualifications and signatures were raised at a Birmingham Employment Tribunal preliminary hearing as former lecturers Mr Nigel Walton and Mr Andrew Thompson applied for permission to go ahead with their legal claims at a full tribunal hearing later this year.

They were told that their legal claims could not go ahead in their present form because the claimants had not been employed long enough by the college.

But tribunal judge Miss Karen Hindmarche said the legal claims could go ahead on a legal technicality, if linked with the whistle blowing allegations.

She said , however, that she had first to decide whether to accept the whistle blowing evidence.

Full details of the alleged whistle blowing evidence were read privately by Miss Hindmarche and not publicly revealed.

Mr Tim Sheppard, representing the college, told the tribunal that the allegations were not true and that no criminal offence had taken place.

He said both lecturers had lost their jobs because of their conduct.

“There were no public disclosures and the legal claims for unfair dismissal and detriment should be struck out, “said Mr Sheppard.

Mr Walton disagreed and said :”Why did an investigation take place if no whistle blowing allegations were made. An attempt was made to brush the matter under the carpet.”

After hearing and reading the evidence Miss Hindmarche said an allegation of malpractice appeared to have involved an employee.

But she said there had been conflicting accounts about the alleged disclosures involving qualifications and signatures and that she was rejecting the evidence.

“As a result the legal claims fail,”she added.

Both Mr Walton and Mr Thompson whose addresses were not disclosed, declined to comment after the hearing.