DUBLIN, Ireland: A workplace tribunal has ruled that the Wilson's Hospital School in Westmeath, where teacher Enoch Burke worked, did not punish an employee for reporting workplace problems.

These problems included suspected fake pay claims and possible data protection issues.

The employee, Siobhán Rogers, who was head of facilities at Wilson's Hospital School, said she was treated badly after raising these concerns. She claimed she was demoted, left out of her role, treated inappropriately, and had many of her responsibilities taken away, which she said broke whistleblower protection laws.

The tribunal heard that the school accepted she had raised several concerns, but argued they did not qualify as protected disclosures under the law. The school also denied that she faced any negative treatment because of her reports.

Rogers said her job was to manage the boarding side of the school. Soon after starting, she said she found several issues and reported them to the principal. These included problems with staff payslips, possible fake timesheets, and concerns about files being removed without permission. She also reported that a school fuel card might have been used for private vehicles, and that a contractor had been overpaid. In total, she said she reported more than 20 issues.

She also said that in 2024, when a new manager was appointed over her, she felt it was a demotion because she no longer reported directly to the principal. She claimed the new manager ignored her views, held unusual meetings, and behaved in a way she found uncomfortable and unprofessional.

The manager denied treating her badly but said he was worried about meetings being secretly recorded.

Rogers said the school never properly discussed her concerns before she left her job. The school's lawyer argued that some of her claims were just normal workplace discussions, not formal reports.

In its final decision, the tribunal said Rogers had indeed reported wrongdoing but ruled that she was not demoted because her job title, pay, and duties remained the same. The tribunal also noted conflicting evidence regarding her relationship with her manager and that she had not used the formal complaint process.

As a result, her claim that she was penalized for speaking up was rejected.