DIRECTOR of education Derek Neale is considering legal action following claims that he is a bullying dictator. He said allegations by Vale deputy Brian de Jersey were part of a sustained and lengthy campaign that was being waged against him and the department.

‘It will probably not surprise you that, following Deputy de Jersey’s comments during the Jane Stephens unfair dismissal hearing on Monday, ‘that’ I am taking advice on action to be pursued against him for his defamatory allegations, which he failed to substantiate,’ he said in a memo circulated throughout the education service and which was obtained by the Guernsey Press.

Mr Neale issued a directive that the memo be placed on staff room notice boards.

Deputy de Jersey declined to comment.

Last week, he told an employment tribunal at which Mrs Stephens claimed she was unfairly sacked as the head of Le Rondin School that he had received several complaints from teachers and parents about Mr Neale.

Some head teachers thought Mr Neale’s conduct was undermining their authority but were scared to speak out for fear of losing their job, he claimed.

Deputy de Jersey told the tribunal he would always speak up ‘for right and truth’ and he was ‘only the messenger’.

In his memo, Mr Neale said the headlines in Tuesday’s Guernsey Press relating to Deputy de Jersey’s comments had prompted his action.

‘I would have preferred ﾓDerek Neale ate my hamsterﾔ, but you can’t have it all ways,’ he wrote.

Mr Neale said the Guernsey Press had given limited coverage to the 14 hours of testimony he had given to the tribunal while Deputy de Jersey’s 20 minutes had been given great prominence.

‘Sadly, it appears from comments he made in the hearing, and which were not published in the Press, that the allegations form part of a sustained and lengthy campaign against the Education Department and me personally, which has been led by others.’

Civil servants were not allowed to respond publicly, he said, even if personal attacks such Deputy de Jersey’s were made.

‘I am deliberately sending this to you before the outcome of the unfair dismissal hearing is known. Regardless of the outcome, it is important to me that you know that the defamatory comments made by Deputy de Jersey will not go without challenge.’

* On Friday, the Guernsey Press invited Mr Neale to respond to Deputy de Jersey’s claims, but no reply has been received.