A TEACHER who won a case for disability discrimination and unfair dismissal against a Bournemouth school has been awarded £41,000 in compensation.

As reported in the Daily Echo, Helen White, 43, took Oakmead College of Technology in Kinson to an employment tribunal and judges decided in her favour.

Now, after a further hearing, she has been awarded the highest level of compensation.

Having worked at the school as an English teacher since September 2000, she developed chronic back problems in September 2009.

Helen, from Milford on Sea, returned to work but the tribunal heard that the school did not make provisions to help her, such as providing a special chair.

The school made her work a full timetable and did not later deal with her grievances.

In November 2010 she was called to a meeting to discuss her “continued unacceptable level of sickness”, the tribunal in Southampton was told.

Helen, who is looking for work, said: “I was awarded the highest for injury to feelings, which was £41,000 in total.

“It’s not ground-breaking but it was the highest it could go, so I was pleased with that. I’m pleased with the fact that they have been pulled up on it.

“It was not about the money, it was about the moral issues. I stood my ground. The judge said it was one of the most serious cases of disability discrimination, which was why I was awarded the highest band.”

Making its judgement, the tribunal decided that the dismissal was constructive – the “last straw” being the meeting to discuss Helen’s dismissal, which led to her resigning on the grounds that she had been treated unfairly because of her medical problems.

The tribunal also found that Helen was the subject of discrimination because of her disability.

A spokesman for Oakmead said: “The award was in line with expected earnings to date. There was no award for future loss of earnings.”