WRC rejects Regina Walsh’s discrimination complaint over principal appointment

The Workplace Relations Commission found that Regina Walsh was not discriminated against when she applied for the principal’s job at Board of Management Scoil Eiltin Naofa. The decision, dated 11 May 2022, found her complaint was not well founded. Walsh said she had 32 years of teaching experience, compared with about six years for the successful male candidate, and had more qualifications and school leadership experience. She argued that the interview scoring was discriminatory and pointed to the lack of comprehensive notes. The board said it used agreed criteria and questions, and that Walsh ranked third among four candidates. The adjudicator found that the differences in experience and qualifications, along with the limited interview notes, were facts from which discrimination could be inferred. But the board rebutted that inference: its witnesses gave broadly consistent accounts and a cogent explanation for the scoring. The WRC therefore found that Walsh had not been discriminated against.