ParrisWhittaker represents employee in discrimination suit

A former teacher of Mary Star of the Sea Catholic School is claiming that she was terminated from the school because she is not Catholic, which she said was never stipulated when she began working for the Bahamas Catholic Board of Education.

A former teacher of Mary Star of the Sea Catholic School is claiming that she was terminated from the school because she is not Catholic, which she said was never stipulated when she began working for the Bahamas Catholic Board of Education.

Months after having been dismissed from her post she said she still has not received the severance pay that she is owed.

Lydia Moss said she had been working for the Bahamas Catholic Board of Education for 11 years and five months when she was terminated in December of 2010.
“I was called in two days before school was closed in June and was told that I might not have a job in August. “After the last day of school I was told that they would let me know if I have a job,” she said. According to Moss, she was told low enrollment numbers at the school and her non-Catholic status were factors that contributed to her job being terminated.

Moss explained that the whole summer vacation went by and she learned nothing about her status, but when she returned to school in late August of 2010 a teacher’s list was circulated but her name was not included to say that she would not return.

She said there was a meeting at the school that morning and it was after the meeting that she was told to go to the school’s office where she spoke on the phone with Claudette Rolle the director of Catholic education who was in New Providence.

Moss said she was informed that she would serve as a substitute teacher and she taught at the school until December 2010.

When she learned she would be terminated Moss said she inquired about what benefits she was entitled to but was told her only entitlement was her pension.“I asked what about my severance pay and she said I’m not supposed to get a severance pay because I was a contract worker,” Moss said.

Moss said she took the matter to the Labour Board in January of this year and the Labour Board informed The Bahamas Catholic Board of Education that she was entitled to a severance pay and that they should make her an offer.

Initially Moss said she was offered one month’s severance pay which she refused and they finally settled on five months severance pay.

Moss said she waited one month to receive what is owed to her and it never came.
Despite having come to an agreement she said it has not been met and she still wants to receive her severance package.

When The Freeport News contacted the Bahamas Catholic Board of Education the director of Catholic Education Claudette Rolle said she had no comment on the matter.

By CLEOPATRA MURPHY |  (cleopatra@nasguard.com) | Freeport News Reporter
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