A staff member of the Government Industrial School (GIS) is awaiting her fate after being suspended from duty with full pay pending the outcome of a probe into reports that two female wards had allegedly ingested harmful substances under her watch.
Barbados TODAY has obtained a copy of correspondence that Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Information Deborah Payne sent to the graduate teacher in the GIS’ Female Unit at Barrows, St Lucy, informing her of her immediate suspension and advising her to stay away from the institution.
“It has been brought to my attention by the Acting Principal of the Government Industrial School that you were on duty on July 9, 2022, when two (2) committed residents reported that they ingested harmful substances,” the July 10, 2022 letter stated, noting that at the time both residents had been taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).
“It is to be noted that this is the second incident, the first being on April 29th, 2022, when a resident ingested a harmful substance when you were on duty. The Acting Principal is in the process of preparing a comprehensive report on the incident for my attention.”
Payne further indicated that as Permanent Secretary she is obliged to take all such reports seriously, and noted that she is also required to carry out a full investigation in accordance with Paragraph 4(2) of the Code of Discipline of the Public Service Act, Cap. 29 to ascertain whether the incident that occurred on July 9 was due to misconduct.
“I must accordingly inform you that as Permanent Secretary, I have formed the opinion that it would be in the public interest and the welfare of the residents of the Female Unit of the Government Industrial School that I suspend you with immediate effect from July 10, 2022, from the performance of your duties as Graduate Teacher assigned to the Government Industrial School.
“Your suspension on full pay will allow me to undertake my investigation into what transpired at the Female Unit of the Government Industrial School on July 9, 2022,” the letter added.
The staffer has been warned that during the period of the suspension, she is not allowed to enter or visit the Female Unit of the state-run institution without prior written consent.
Additionally, the employee has been advised that she is not to have any contact or communication with any of the residents of the reform facility. She has also been ordered to surrender any keys or other belongings to the GIS immediately upon receipt of the letter, but not later than July 12.
“You will be expected to cooperate fully with my investigation. You are directed to submit to me a written report on the incident that occurred on July 9th, 2022, no later than 3 p.m. on July 14th, 2022.
“I shall be contacting you shortly thereafter to arrange an interview so that I can discuss more fully what transpired at the Female Unit of the Government Industrial School on July 9, 2022,” Payne informed the teacher.
Barbados TODAY has been reliably informed that the teacher remains on suspension.
On July 11, Barbados TODAY reported that the grandmother of a female ward of the GIS said the minor had tried to take her life two days prior by ingesting a mixture of substances, and warned that the girl and other female wards had planned to make another suicide attempt.
However, the following day, Minister of Home Affairs and Information Wilfred Abrahams said that while a female ward had claimed she had ingested toothpaste, when she was transported to the QEH for medical attention, her toxicology report came back negative.
Abrahams condemned the media reports which highlighted the incident, saying the young lady later admitted that she did not ingest anything.
Barbados TODAY’s efforts to contact Minister Abrahams on the suspension of the GIS employee have so far been unsuccessful.
