An award-winning former headteacher embroiled in a High Court battle with the National Education Union faced a professional misconduct panel this week. Mahzia 鈥淧epe鈥 Hart could be banned from teaching if found guilty of intimidating staff, bullying pregnant teachers, inappropriate comments and mocking pupils. The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) hearing follows a second watchdog investigation into Hart in six years, with the first resulting in no further action. Hart accuses NEU of ‘harassment’ The former head of Trinity Church School in Radstock, Somerset, who resigned in 2015, has alleged a 鈥渨itch hunt鈥. She has publicly criticised the TRA on Twitter, and is currently suing the National Education Union (NEU) and its regional district secretary David Biddleston. She accused him of inciting union members to complain, motivated partly by anti-academy sentiment. The 鈥渦nlawful conspiracy鈥 and 鈥渉arassment鈥 forced her to resign, causing 鈥渦pset and anxiety鈥 and the loss of income and prestige, she wrote in court documents. The NEU disputes the claims. The TRA panel is now ruling on allegations referred by the then National Union of Teachers in 2017. Questioning why it had not referred her in either 2015 or 2016, Hart claimed the NUT鈥檚 action was 鈥渞etaliation鈥 after another legal action in 2017. She had won an apology from one ex-teacher and NUT member in a defamation case. Hart is also reported to have taken legal action since against Bath and North East Somerset Council, which her legal documents say made the first referral to the regulator in 2016. Claims head bullied pregnant staff Hart had won a , and a 鈥 She became Trinity鈥檚 head in 2009, in 2009 and 2013. It became one of the first primary academies in 2011. But by December 2015 she had resigned after local media reported staff and parental criticisms, and what she later dubbed 鈥渁ppalling social media abuse鈥. Almost seven years later, a five-week misconduct hearing in Coventry is underway into more than 50 alleged incidents. Former employee Stacey Broad claimed on Wednesday that Hart had told her in 2013 to stop 鈥渇launting鈥 her pregnant belly, not let her attend maternity appointments and questioned whether she got pregnant as teaching was 鈥渢oo difficult鈥. She accused Hart of saying sick days were 鈥渘ot acceptable鈥 and staff should not expect Sundays off. Hart鈥檚 lawyer, Simon Smith, denied the claims. He questioned why, if it was a 鈥渢oxic, hostile environment鈥, the teacher invited Hart to her wedding and returned to work at Trinity a second time in 2015. Broad said both reflected Hart’s “manipulation”, and she had hoped things would change. Smith also questioned whether the teacher鈥檚 critical posts in a Facebook group about Hart, including saying she wanted to 鈥減unch her”, amounted to bullying. The witness said they had been private conversations among 鈥渢raumatised鈥 teachers. Another former employee, Cindy James, called her time at Trinity 鈥渉orrendous鈥, accusing Hart of 鈥渋ntimidating鈥 behaviour. She alleged Hart said her class would be 鈥渂etter off鈥 without twins with special educational needs, and mimicked a pupil she dubbed a 鈥渕ini-Nelson Mandela鈥. Smith said these claims were 鈥渘ot true鈥. He noted the former employee鈥檚 contact with the NUT, and that the witness compiled a grievance document after only a 鈥渧ery short time鈥 working under Hart. NEU slams Hart’s ‘bizarre’ compensation claim Further allegations against Hart include calling colleagues 鈥渇at鈥, 鈥渢hick鈥, 鈥渢rash鈥, 鈥渟oulless鈥, 鈥減athetic鈥 and dubbing one a 鈥渕ood Hoover鈥. She is accusd of mimicking a pupil with special educational needs, 鈥渢hreatening鈥 staff that they might not find work elsewhere and putting 鈥渄ishonest鈥 pressure on one employee to change a statement to the police. At one point in the hearing Hart appeared distressed and said the hearing was 鈥渘ot right鈥, and that she had spent 拢250,000 of her 鈥渃hildren鈥檚 money鈥 defending herself over seven years. An NEU spokesperson called Hart鈥檚 bid for compensation 鈥渧exatious鈥, calling it 鈥渂izarre鈥 to claim 鈥渂asic trade unionism is an unlawful conspiracy鈥. It referred Hart only after the libel case to 鈥渁void any suggestion鈥 the two were linked. Hart and her witnesses are yet to give evidence. The case continues.
Becki 19 September 2022 This article is full of lies and deceit. I worked with Pepe for 10 years and she was kind, compassionate and supportive to everyone in the school community. The children adored her and the school was a happy, vibrant place full of love and joy. This witch-hunt years later is cruel and malicious. The witnesses don鈥檛 want to be there and are having to be summoned. I really hope the journalist is present for the rest of the hearing to hear what we鈥檝e got to say.