The long silence - an explanation
Following the last update to this site in June 2010, I became unwell. The cause was a bit of mystery for several months but eventually it transpired that I had a tumour in my left forearm. So, at the start of 2011, I was admitted to hospital for surgery to remove the tumour. It turned out that the tumour extended from the wrist almost as far as the elbow. The surgery was successful, but most of the muscle and some of the nerves also had to be removed. While I still have my left arm, all I can do is wiggle the thumb a bit which allows me to pinch things between thumb and forefinger and not a lot more!
After almost two months of daily radiotherapy, I was starting to get my life back to something resembling normality. I started to think about resuming my campaign to persuade Aberdeenshire Council to review my case when I was rushed back into hospital with a heart attack. While the underlying cause of the heart attack is a mystery, the trigger appears to have been putting too much strain on the right arm - I had just cleaned the shower.
Three stents and two months of cardiac rehab later, I again began to consider renewing my campaign - when I was yet again rushed into hospital with stomach ulcers and a tear in the oesophagus! It seems that some of the various drugs I now have to take caused some form of internal chemical warfare. Christmas 2011 thus saw yours truly tucked up in bed - back in hospital!
I was surprised just how much this latest health scare set me back but now, getting on for two months after the paramedics threatened to issue me with a frequent flier card, I am again beginning to feel up to the task of asking for a review.
Health permitting, watch this space in the not too distant future.
Welcome to my website - Release 4
I was dismissed from my post as Principal Teacher of Religious Studies at Fraserburgh Academy in 1986 following an allegation by one pupil. This led to a court case at which I was found Not Guilty.
Following this, at a meeting of the then Grampian Regional Council Education Committee, a motion by the Authority that I be dismissed from my post was passed. I can now show that, at this meeting, the Authority deceived the Committee by
- presenting as fact statements which were untrue,
- suppressing evidence very much in my favour, and
- preventing the Assistant Head Teacher responsible for extra-curricular activities at Fraserburgh Academy from attending the meeting to give evidence on my behalf.
I have requested on numerous occasions that the Authority review the facts surrounding my dismissal - but that's a bit like asking turkeys to vote for Christmas.
My position is that, if I had done anything deserving of dismissal, the Authority would not have found it necessary to manipulate the Education Committee into rubber-stamping the motion that I be dismissed.
So why this website?
Over recent months, I have again approached the Authority as well as Councillors whose wards include the catchment area of Fraserburgh Academy and even the three 'religious' representatives on the current Education Committee asking that the facts surrounding my dismissal be re-examined. Not surprisingly, this has led to nothing. I therefore feel I have no option other than put these facts into the public domain.
I fully recognise that this will cause some discomfort in certain quarters and so, rather than present the full story at the outset, I am adding to this site gradually.
What I require is quite simple - a full and honest review of the means employed by the Authority in order to secure my dismissal.
When Aberdeenshire Council finally agrees to such a review, I will stop adding material to this web site until after the review has taken place.