Self-suspended San Andrea school principal Stefania Bartolo has filed a judicial protest calling upon her former assistant head Trevor Templeman to withdraw the “defamatory and untrue allegations” in her regard. 

On Friday, the school confirmed that it had launched an independent inquiry into a series of claims by Templeman about alleged financial irregularities to the tune of over €4 million.

The former assistant head claimed that he was “sidelined and intimidated” by the school’s management team after flagging financial issues that were highlighted to him by the school principal. 

Bartolo subsequently addressed parents by means of a letter informing them that she had decided to “step aside in order to set a good example in corporate governance, and in order to take legal action” to defend her name and reputation. 

On Tuesday, Bartolo did take action by filing a judicial protest in the First Hall, Civil Court, making reference to recent media reports which she claimed to have been triggered by Templeman’s “malicious” email to parents and also uploaded on social media. 

That email, written “in bad faith”, had twisted facts and made up a story about the alleged financial abuse at the school and claiming that the principal knew about it but did nothing, Bartolo’s lawyer now said.

Bartolo, as principal at San Andrea since June, had adopted a clear approach and had explained to the assistant head, twice over, that the school accounts had been audited and that no discrepancies had been flagged. 

Yet, Templeman had twisted the words spoken to him, made up a story, and attributed to Bartolo words that were never spoken, she claims.

Moreover, although he had every opportunity to raise questions during the school’s annual general meeting and although he had attended, Templeman had not asked one single question. 

On the contrary, he kept quiet and then went public, airing his doubts only to cast a shadow upon Bartolo and without basing his allegations on “any concrete proof”.

Such behaviour, following the assistant head’s resignation from office, was simply “a vendetta” intended solely to put her in a bad light by attributing to her certain facts that were “untrue”.

Bartolo claimed that she had always acted in the best interests of the school, its students and parents. 

She now called upon Templeman to withdraw such “defamatory and untrue” allegations within 24 hours, while reserving the right to follow up with further legal action. 

Lawyer Kris Busietta signed the judicial protest.