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Dismissed for being pregnant
Dismissed for being pregnant
Published: Friday | May 6, 2011
AN ASPIRING woman police was denied the opportunity of graduating from the Jamaica Police Academy (JPA) because she is pregnant.
The woman was served with a dismissal letter one day before graduation last Friday after she informed her superiors of her status.
"They went and served her the letter 8:30 p.m. last Thursday and instructed her to return all government properties," said the woman's attorney, Althea Grant, who has since appealed the decision of the JPA commandant.
The Clarendon resident would have been among more than 200 constables to join the ranks of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) had she been allowed to graduate.
reasons for dismissal
Read the dismissal letter: "You are hereby given notice that you are dismissed from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) under regulation 24 (b) subsection (a) of the Police Service Regulation 1961, that is to say, you are not likely to become an efficient constable due to the following reasons:
"You failed to disclose critical and material information to the organisation during your period of November 29, 2010-April 4, 2011."
The letter was signed by a superintendent.
"They are claiming that she concealed the pregnancy. She did a medical a week before she commenced training, but it was two weeks ago, after she began experiencing abdominal pains, that she discovered that she was pregnant," Grant said.
While she did not furnish any evidence, Grant claims her client was discriminated against. She said based on reports, four other women from the batch were also pregnant when they graduated.
Chairman of the Police Federation, Sergeant Raymond Wilson, told The Gleaner yesterday that his organisation is "aware of the incident and the matter is being dealt with".
At the same time, commandant of the JPA, Bishop Gary Welsh, who is also the chaplain for the JCF, declined to speak about the issue, saying the matter was now a legal issue.
Published: Friday | May 6, 2011
- Woman barred from graduating from Police Academy
AN ASPIRING woman police was denied the opportunity of graduating from the Jamaica Police Academy (JPA) because she is pregnant.
The woman was served with a dismissal letter one day before graduation last Friday after she informed her superiors of her status.
"They went and served her the letter 8:30 p.m. last Thursday and instructed her to return all government properties," said the woman's attorney, Althea Grant, who has since appealed the decision of the JPA commandant.
The Clarendon resident would have been among more than 200 constables to join the ranks of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) had she been allowed to graduate.
reasons for dismissal
Read the dismissal letter: "You are hereby given notice that you are dismissed from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) under regulation 24 (b) subsection (a) of the Police Service Regulation 1961, that is to say, you are not likely to become an efficient constable due to the following reasons:
"You failed to disclose critical and material information to the organisation during your period of November 29, 2010-April 4, 2011."
The letter was signed by a superintendent.
"They are claiming that she concealed the pregnancy. She did a medical a week before she commenced training, but it was two weeks ago, after she began experiencing abdominal pains, that she discovered that she was pregnant," Grant said.
While she did not furnish any evidence, Grant claims her client was discriminated against. She said based on reports, four other women from the batch were also pregnant when they graduated.
Chairman of the Police Federation, Sergeant Raymond Wilson, told The Gleaner yesterday that his organisation is "aware of the incident and the matter is being dealt with".
At the same time, commandant of the JPA, Bishop Gary Welsh, who is also the chaplain for the JCF, declined to speak about the issue, saying the matter was now a legal issue.
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