Ruel courts JTA help
PM, Williams say talks still live as JC fallout deepens
Published:Friday | November 19, 2021 | 12:11 AM
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The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) has intervened on behalf of former Education Minister Ruel Reid in the controversy surrounding his tenure as principal of Jamaica College (JC). Reid, who is a long-time member of the powerful teachers’ union...
Damion Mitchell/Integration Editor
The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) has intervened on behalf of former Education Minister Ruel Reid in the controversy surrounding his tenure as principal of Jamaica College (JC).
Reid, who is a long-time member of the powerful teachers’ union, is also a former JTA president.
Reports of the development came on the eve of a decision by the JC board about Reid’s application for a five-year extension of his current special leave.
Should his application be approved, Reid stands to make $23 million more at his monthly salary of $388,277.67 or $4.6 million a year.
The details of the JTA’s involvement in the matter could not be ascertained on Thursday, but it is understood that an attorney had been engaged.
If Reid’s special leave is not extended, or a compensation package agreed, the ex-minister, now before the court on corruption charges, would have to resume duties as JC principal come Monday morning.
His special leave as JC principal expires on Saturday.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness told reporters in Westmoreland that the issue was being actively pursued.
“My report is that they are working to find a way to resolve the issues,” said Holness, revealing that he was briefed only a day earlier by Education Minister Fayval Williams.
The prime minister also said he was aware of public sentiments about Reid’s paid special leave but maintained that the provisions of law and due process had to be honoured.
Williams said on Wednesday that there was no major development to announce with regard to the Reid saga.
“We continue to have discussions. So at this moment, other than saying that I don’t have anything yet that I can announce ... ,” Williams told The Gleaner.
The minister, however, conceded that the 40-year-old Education Regulations, which has insulated Reid, was in urgent need of reform.
“... We have begun that process, starting with the Education Act to repeal and replace. In terms of the research that has been done at the ministry, there have been many, many, many consultations and much work that has been done. It’s just that persons before did not take it to that step where you have the amendments or a new law,” Williams added.
Reid was seconded to the education ministry in 2016 under the Holness administration. He resigned in 2019 after allegations of criminal misbehaviour surfaced and was subsequently granted special leave as principal.
Williams will now be required to approve the recommendation of the Michael Bernard-chaired Jamaica College board in relation to Reid’s future.
Bernard has promised to issue a statement on the matter by this morning.
In the meantime, he has rejected some news reports surrounding the issue.
“Much of what has been reported in various parts of the press and on social media is untrue or misleading,” Bernard wrote in a terse statement.
Meanwhile, the board’s handling of the Ruel Reid controversy has triggered a fallout with the Jamaica College Old Boys’ Association.
Just over two weeks ago, Major Basil Jarrett, the association’s representative on the JC board, resigned. There have been at least three other resignations from the past students’ and parent-teacher associations.
Jarrett declined to comment on Thursday.
However, a source close to the matter said he and other JC alumni are upset with the board’s handling of the Ruel Reid issue.
They have rejected Bernard’s claim in an October 29, 2021, statement that without a formal complaint into Reid’s conduct, the board was unable to take action with respect to terminating the principal.
Aggrieved executives are reportedly protesting what they have deemed antagonistic behaviour by the school’s board of governors, claiming that the old boys’ association has been excluded from attending some meetings where certain decisions were made.
According to one source, the board could have launched its own probe into Reid’s conduct involving an ancillary worker and driver who featured in preliminary investigations before formal charges were laid.
However, with the matter now before the court, it would be too late.
– Albert Ferguson and Judana Murphy contributed to this story.