Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsEducationEducation - schoolEmployment tribunalsRace discrimination

Teacher who called pupils ‘chattering monkeys’ loses dismissal claim

by Jo Faragher 23 Aug 2024
by Jo Faragher 23 Aug 2024 Stock pic: Shutterstock
Stock pic: Shutterstock

A teacher who was sacked after describing her pupils as ‘chattering monkeys’ has lost a claim for unfair dismissal against her former school.

Charlotte Moore taught a year 6 class at Trinity St Mary’s Primary School in Chelmsford. She was investigated by police after parents complained that her remark was “very racist” and constituted a hate crime.

The school launched a disciplinary investigation and Moore was later sacked for gross misconduct.

Moore took the school to tribunal, claiming that the allegations against her were “malicious and untrue”, and that the investigation procedure had been defective.

She claimed that there had been insufficient investigation carried out into her conduct, meaning there had been a lack of reasonable grounds to dismiss her on this basis.

Unfair dismissal

Manager on sick leave for four years not unfairly dismissed 

Top 10 HR questions July 2024: Unfair dismissal changes 

Moore also told the tribunal that the investigating officer had been biased in their approach, that they had relied extensively on anonymous witness statements, and that she had not been informed about all aspects of the allegations for which she was suspended.

“The role played by HR had too great an influence on the outcomes of the disciplinary procedure,” her submission added.

Alongside the monkeys comment, the tribunal heard that Moore had “told the class that they are getting on her nerves so much she wants to shoot herself or them”.

The police closed their investigation after concluding they were satisfied that the “chattering monkeys” comment had been used for the entire class and should not be considered a racial slur in this context.

However, around half of the 30 children in Moore’s class were interviewed about a number of allegations, and concerns were repeated by a number of them. These included reports of her grabbing a pupil by the back of their neck and shaking another while holding their collar.

Moore told the tribunal that she often made “overly dramatic statements” to pupils in a joking way.

Employment Judge Suzanne Palmer said in judgment: “I do not consider that the role played by HR in this case fell outside a reasonable procedure”, adding that there was no evidence to suggest that HR sought to influence the panel’s decision.

The way the investigation was conducted – while there were some flaws – was considered to be fair and the decision to dismiss her “fell within the range of what was reasonable in the circumstances”, Judge Palmer added, dismissing the claim.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

Employee relations opportunities on Personnel Today


Browse more Employee Relations jobs

Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

previous post
Shein dealt with two child labour cases last year, ESG report reveals
next post
Lung cancer vaccine and drug for Alzheimer’s herald new treatments

You may also like

Black security manager awarded £360k after decade of...

20 May 2025

Union rep teacher awarded £370k for unfair dismissal

15 May 2025

Tribunal finds need for degree in redundancy selection...

14 May 2025

NHS worker awarded £29k after Darth Vader comparison

8 May 2025

Employment tribunal backlog up 23% in a year

7 May 2025

Lincolnshire doctor awarded £250k in race discrimination case

2 May 2025

Top 10 HR questions April 2025: increases to...

2 May 2025

M&S unfairly dismissed pregnant bakery worker

29 Apr 2025

Recruiter who returned to empty office after maternity...

23 Apr 2025

Accountant wins maximum payout for unfair dismissal

14 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+