By Roy Sanford, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
FIFTEEN MONTHS after she was sent on paid leave by the previous board of governors for alleged financial irregularities, a vindicated Ruth Bell-Stone resumed duties as bursar at St. James High School on Monday with the full blessing of the new board of Governors and the Ministry of Education.
"I am totally happy," said Mrs Bell-Stone, shortly after arriving on the school's compound for the first time since October 2002. "As a Justice of the Peace and a leader in my church it still hurt to know that my name was dragged through the mud for no reason."
The decision to reinstate Mrs Bell-Stone, who has been the bursar at the school since the early 1980s, was taken last Thursday after the new board, led by Montego Bay businessman Mark Kerr-Jarrett, voted unanimously in favour of her reinstatement.
In a release to the media last weekend, the new school board, which took office on January 1, 2004, stated that, "After examining the audited report covering the period of the alleged irregularities, we have concluded that the bursar did not indulged in any illicit activities and as a consequence, should resume her position."
UNAUTHORISED CONSTRUCTION
"We have not seen anything in the auditors' report to implicate her (the bursar) in any wrongdoing so we have decided that she should resume her duties," said chairman Kerr-Jarrett, in an interview with The Gleaner. "We have since conveyed our decision to the Ministry Of Education."
Prior to the decision to sent Mrs. Bell-Stone on leave, the then acting principal Jeannette Solomon, who was also accused of engaging in the 'unauthorised construction' of two new classrooms at the school and failure to seek the board's approval, also felt the wrath of the old board.
In a letter dated August 26, 2002, which appeared over the signature of the then board chairman, Lee Bailey, Ms. Solomon was accused of 'failure to carry out the board's directive' and told that, "Your temporary appointment as acting principal of the St. James High School will cease with effect from August 20, 2002."
However, with the audited report showing no evidence of financial irregularities, the new board has also cleared Ms. Solomon, who was reverted to her substantive post as vice-principal after she was removed as acting principal, of any wrongdoing.
Mrs. Bell-Stone's return to St. James High was welcome by a number of teachers and ancillary workers.
