A primary school headmistress who was sacked and accused of assault after tapping her own toddler's hand while he played with a bottle of hand sanitiser has been awarded more than £100,000.
Yet an employment judge concluded there was no evidence that she had committed 'physical chastisement or an assault' and ruled her dismissal unfair. 'J took up a bottle of hand sanitiser which was on a table. daughter told her that he had squirted some to the floor. took the sanitiser out of his hand.'
Ms Bhagwandas then told the head teacher that she should not have hurt her son and that she should have spoken to him instead. ' considered that physical chastisement could be appropriate because the child was in possession of a chemical, which could have caused irritation to his eyes, and he accepted explanation that her response was to get him out of harm's way,' the tribunal heard.
' when explaining inappropriate behaviours to her child she will say 'this is wrong we don't do that' and explain why or show him the appropriate way to behave,' the tribunal heard.