Scots teacher’s tribunal claim over ‘baldy’ chants fails to impress judge

A bald teacher who claimed he was a victim of disability discrimination has lost his tribunal claim, it has emerged.

Retired art teacher James Campbell, 61, at Denny High School in Stirlingshire, took Falkirk Council to an employment tribunal claiming he had suffered from harassment at the hands of pupils because of his baldness.

He said the pupils at the school believed his baldness to be a weakness, which had a "substantial and long term adverse effect" on his ability to do his job.

But tribunal judge Robert Gall ruled said baldness was "not an impairment" and therefore was not covered by the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

"If baldness was to be regarded as an impairment then perhaps a physical feature such as a big nose, big ears or being smaller than average height might of themselves be regarded as an impairment under the DDA," reported BBC News Online.

"That, to me, cannot be right looking to the DDA, the guidance and relevant case law.''

Campbell also brought a claim of constructive and unfair dismissal against Falkirk council will go ahead at a later date.