Face mask teacher sacked

A teacher at a £17,000-a-year private school was dismissed after allowing students to remove their face masks during the pandemic, a tribunal has revealed.

Henry Howlett, who worked at Michael Hall School in Forest Row, East Sussex—a Steiner school emphasizing a holistic approach to education—told students they could take off their masks if they felt anxious or uncomfortable during a school talent show in 2020.

The tribunal heard that Mr. Howlett was terminated for gross misconduct, partly due to taking students on an educational trip without obtaining the necessary parental consent forms.

He filed a claim for unfair dismissal, and the tribunal has now ruled in his favour, with a judge concluding that the school was motivated by financial concerns. The judge described the dismissal as a “dishonest” and “opportunistic” attempt to cut costs, which did not align with the school’s stated values.

The tribunal in south London was informed that the school had been struggling since 2019 and had been rated “inadequate” by Ofsted following the appointment of principal Paul Farr.

On October 21, 2021, the school held a talent show, during which students were instructed to wear face masks due to Covid-19 restrictions. An email from Mr. Farr outlined exemptions for students who were unable to wear masks for physical or emotional reasons.

At the time, schools were given the discretion to enforce mask-wearing. However, during the talent show, many of Mr. Howlett’s students were not wearing masks, which led to complaints from some staff members. He explained that several students felt restricted by the masks and therefore did not need to wear them.

This triggered a strong reaction from some colleagues, leading to a meeting where Mr. Howlett dismissed the issue as “neither urgent nor a safeguarding concern.” He left the meeting before it concluded, prompting a senior leadership team member to warn him that this could be seen as “insubordination,” a term the tribunal deemed “unusual” given the informal nature of the conversation.

Employment Judge Denis Harley stated, “I consider this dismissal was a dishonest and opportunistic enterprise.”

Mr. Howlett will be awarded compensation at a later date.