March 21 2024- Shelly-Ann Malabver-Goulbourne, a former head teacher at Northwold Primary School in east London, was unfairly dismissed for assault after tapping her son’s hand to get his attention, as ruled by an employment tribunal. The incident, reported by a colleague, led to her suspension and a police investigation. Despite the school’s concerns, the tribunal found her actions did not constitute unnecessary physical contact, supporting her claim of unfair dismissal. Ms. Malabver-Goulbourne, who had been with the school since 2005 and became head teacher in 2017, explained that she tapped her son to prevent him from playing with a hand sanitiser bottle he had previously injured himself with during a late office work session in January 2022.
