Babb’s disciplinary hearing begins

Teacher Alwyn Babb on Wednesday appeared before a disciplinary panel over his candidacy in the January 19, 2022 general elections.

Trade unionist Caswell Franklyn who is representing the Lester Vaughan Secondary School teacher in the matter told Barbados TODAY the hearing, which took place at the Ministry of Civil Service in Culloden Road, will continue next week.

“They started taking evidence today and Babb will return before the panel next week Monday and the process will continue from there,” he said.

However, the hearing for the other educator facing similar action, Pedro Shepherd, has been delayed with no new date yet set.

Babb and Shepherd are on half-pay leave for six months, which started in April, for allegedly breaching the General Orders 3.18.1 and Paragraph 2 (h) of the Code of Discipline, by contesting the polls. Babb contested the St Peter seat while Shepherd ran in St Michael South East for the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

Shepherd, a Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary School teacher and former Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) president is yet to appear before a disciplinary panel.

When he turned up at the Ministry of Civil Service on Tuesday as instructed, in the company of BUT General Secretary Herbert Gittens and Franklyn, he was told that the hearing would have to be adjourned due to the absence of a member of the panel.

“My hearing was adjourned without a date being given,” he said. “They said that they could not hear from one of the commissioners. So they came to us in the room around 11 a.m. to inform us that one of the commissioners was absent and that my case would have to be adjourned. I am not too sure what will happen from here; I am just waiting on another date.” anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb