Spanish teacher who was ‘unfairly’ sacked by £16,000-a-year private school claims she was told she was ‘too spicy’ to work there

• Ana Aguero alleges she was referred to as ‘the teacher with the funny last name’
• Ottilie Anderson claims that she was made redundant due to a medical condition

A Spanish teacher has taken a private school to a tribunal after she was allegedly sacked for being ‘too spicy’ to work there.

The High School of Dundee, which can cost parents and carers up to £16,050 a year, is now being taken to an employment tribunal. 

Ana Aguero alleges that she was referred to as ‘the teacher with the funny last name,’ and claimed  the ‘spicy’ comment was about her Spanish heritage, reported The Telegraph.

Ms Aguero has also denied allegations that she told her students that she was going to ‘sue the school’s a**,’ after the teacher was told she was losing her job.

The claim that racially charged language was used about Ms Aguero is detailed in an independent report which was issued by the school. 

As other ‘non-UK’ teachers had held onto their jobs, a consultant found that it was ‘difficult to say’ whether race played a part in the dismissal. 

However, Ms Aguero may have a case as she was not employed on a full-time contract with the school, but was on a part-time contract.

Ryan Russell, senior partner with MML Legal, who is representing the teachers in the case, told the outlet: ‘It is essential that our clients and the fee-paying parents are given the opportunity to know the reality of what happened.

‘Extremely serious allegations are being made against senior management and there are major questions to be addressed and answered through the tribunal process.’

Ana Aguero alleges that she was referred to as ‘the teacher with the funny last name’

A second teacher, Ottilie Anderson had been off work as she has a condition which affects her eyesight

A second teacher, Ottilie Anderson had been off work as she has a condition which affects her eyesight. 

The teacher – who believes she was made redundant because of her medical condition – said she felt ‘undervalued and ‘isolated’ as she claimed that the private school did not show any care when she was admitted to hospital. 

The report, which was commissioned by an independent HR consultant, described the school’s management of ill health among staff as ‘abysmal’.

The consultant said Ms Anderson had ‘every right’ to feel disrespected after the teacher was ‘ignored’ during her absence. 

Both teachers alleged that were made redundant due to cost-cuts as four teachers took voluntary redundancy and another six faced compulsory redundancy.

Both Ms Anderson and Ms Aguero – who claim they were discriminated against as they were on part-time contracts – were offered alternative jobs as cleaners.

However the consultant said she had some ‘slight niggles’ over whether Ms Anderson had been made redundant due to her medical situation, as she lost her job before the formal process was completed.

The High School of Dundee, which can cost parents and carers up to £16,050 a year, is now being taken to an employment tribunal

A spokesperson for the High School of Dundee told MailOnline, ‘As the cases are the subject of ongoing legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment on the detail, other than to say that we refute the employment tribunal claims which are being made. 

‘In respect of the redundancy process which was followed and the School’s processes and procedures, we have robust and appropriate procedures whereby all staff are treated fairly, appropriately and without discrimination.’

However this is not the first time the High School of Dundee has faced criticism from former staff members. 

In 2019, it was reported that Daniel Goodey had been pushed out of his job at the prestigious Dundee High when he refused to apologise to a girl who had been late handing in an assignment.

Mr Goodey had been a principal of religious, moral and philosophical studies and was subjected to a string of ‘extremely threatening and unpleasant’ meetings by the school’s rector, or head teacher, John Halliday, 64, after the incident.

Judge Ian McFatridge ruled Mr Goodey was bullied out of his job after he ‘sighed in frustration’ at the schoolgirl as she left his classroom in a ‘teenage huff’.

The tribunal heard the pupil took exception to being told she had to work with a fellow classmate, after she had been late handing an assignment in. 

As she left, the teacher made an exasperated noise and told her ‘don’t walk away angry’.  

The judge ordered Dundee High School to pay £60,000 to Mr Goodey. 

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