Schools are now asking lawyers to draw up codes of conduct to help police parent WhatsApp groups.
The Employment Rights Bill, which is currently being debated in the House of Lords, could make employers liable if they do not take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent their staff from harassment.
Such a measure may mean that teachers can sue their employer if they receive abuse in parent WhatsApp groups.
To prevent possibly having to pay-out to suing employees, schools are now reportedly rushing to have lawyers draw up codes of conduct for the online chats.
It is thought that concern is growing amongst headteachers that they could actually be found liable if parent WhatsApp groups are used to spread false rumours or racist and homophobic abuse about staff.
And those concerns have arisen when teachers are usually not even a part of these WhatsApp groups, which are routinely made by parents of pupils often in classes together.
Head of the education group at the country’s leading law firm, Mischon de Reya, told The Times that both independent and state schools have sought his company’s advice over the possibility of drawing up a code of conduct for parent groups.
‘Schools are very concerned about the impact on staff and being held liable, for what’s been said in class WhatsApp groups and are implementing codes of conduct for parents.
Schools are now asking lawyers to draw up codes of conduct to help police parent WhatsApp groups
Under a new bill, teachers could sue their employer if they receive abuse in parent
‘If a parent WhatsApp group was creating an intimidating or hostile environment for a teacher, for example horrendously homophobic statements, the school would in theory be expected to do something about it.’
As well as abusive exchanges, concerns have arisen over the possible spread of misinformation on these WhatsApp chats.
Alistair Wood, chief executive of Edapt, which too supports legal support for teachers said: ‘We frequently support staff where issued have escalated after misinformation or misunderstanding shared online.
‘These situations can quickly erode trust and take significant time for school leaders to resolve, drawing them away from their core role of running the school.’
Times Radio producer Maxie Allen and his partner Rosalind Levine were arrested on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications after a ‘trivial’ dispute
The possible introduction of The Employment Rights Bill comes just weeks after the parents of two young children were locked in a police cell for 11 hours for complaining on WhatsApp chats about the teacher recruitment process at their daughter’s primary school.
Times Radio producer Maxie Allen and his partner Rosalind Levine were arrested on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications after a ‘trivial’ dispute.
Mr Allen, 50, branded the police action ‘dystopian’ and a ‘massive overreach’, and accused Cowley Hill Primary School in Borehamwood, Herts, of trying to ‘silence awkward parents’.
After a five-week investigation, however, Hertfordshire Constabulary finally concluded there was no case to answer.
