Susan Storer, 48, a deputy head, told an employment tribunal that it was a "regular joke" that her chair made embarrassing sounds, and she frequently had to apologise to parents, colleagues and pupils. She claimed two other deputy headteachers, both male, were given new "executive-style" chairs in their offices while she was overlooked.
She said that the chair issue was part of a catalogue of sexist behaviour that undermined her position at Bedminster Down secondary school in Bristol. She resigned from her £48,000-a-year post and is claiming £1m in compensation for constructive dismissal and sex discrimination.
Mrs Storer claims she was subjected to four years of intimidation and stress at the 1,000-pupil school. She had a nervous breakdown and suffered severe clinical depression, she said. "Basically I wanted to commit suicide and I thought about crashing my car," she added.
Daily Telegraph (Tim Hopkins)
