College head paid full salary on suspension (From Gazette)

College head paid full salary on suspension

10:00pm Tuesday 20th October 2009

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A COLLEGE principal, who earned £75,000 a year, was suspended on full pay during an internal investigation.

Jacquie Watts was initially suspended from her post at Braintree College in May last year, and left four-and-a-half months later.

She was sent home on “gardening leave” by the college’s governing body, the corporation.

Reasons for the suspension have never been revealed, but it came a month after the college announced it was considering a merger with Colchester Institute.

The Gazette applied under the Freedom of Information Act to find out how much she was paid during her suspension, the reasons for the investigation, its outcome, and details of any financial settlement made upon her leaving the college.

David Triggs, the corporation’s clerk, confirmed Ms Watts was paid her normal salary during the period of suspension, but said the other information requested was “deemed as personal/confidential and, therefore, under the Act, this information is classed as exempt”.

The Gazette was also told it would breach data protection principles to make public the reason for the investigation and its results.

The college is still in the process of planning to merge with Colchester Institute.

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