Teachers at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School (ERGS) are being balloted by the NASUWT union for industrial action after it claims videos were taken up the skirts of two teachers by a male pupil in 2015.

A letter from the chair of ERGS’s board of governors, seen by the BBC, was sent to teaching staff in early June. It said that, in November 2016 “a memory stick containing inappropriate images” was found in the school and it emerged that the images had been taken by a pupil in May and June 2015 – before the amalgamation of Portora Royal School and Collegiate Grammar School.

The PSNI investigated and two female teachers were informed about the images.

The pupil was initially suspended for five days and later for 12 further days, the BBC reported.

The case went to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) but it decided not to prosecute the pupil because the activities reported to them by police as having been committed did not constitute an offence in criminal law. The PPS also said that the women teachers involved “were not observed doing a private act and therefore the evidential test in respect of the offence of voyeurism” was not met.

The letter to ERGS staff said that the governors decided not to expel the pupil after taking legal advice.

The school also said that it had carried out a risk assessment and drawn up safety and support plans for both the boy and the two female teachers.

Two teaching unions have since written to ERGS to voice their concern about the developments.

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said they were concerned there may be other victims “as yet unidentified” captured on video on the same memory stick and claimed that the school should “revisit the question of whether to exclude the pupil concerned.”

The NASUWT letter alleges that the governors were not sufficiently open with staff about the situation and said that the women involved were “sexually exploited and feel objectified” as “it remains a fact that videos were taken up the skirts” of the teachers.

The NASUWT are balloting their 48 members in the school on whether to refuse to teach the pupil involved.

A spokesperson from ERGS told the BBC: “Given the complex and sensitive nature of this issue for all concerned, we are disappointed that this is being dealt with in the media.
“It is not appropriate for the school to comment further.”