Updated 4.25pm with school's reaction below.

The teachers' union has filed a complaint before the Industrial Tribunal on behalf of headmaster Mario Mallia on grounds that he was unfairly dismissed from St Albert the Great College.

In a press conference outside the law courts, Malta Union of Teachers president Marco Bonnici said the union would be doing everything in its power to support Mallia and prevent the situation at the college from deteriorating any further. 

The union is asking the tribunal to declare that Mallia’s employment at the college - run by the Dominican Order - was terminated unjustly and he should be reinstated in his role as headmaster. Additionally, the union is asking for Mallia to be awarded fair compensation for the ordeal. 

The union argues that Mallia in a letter to rector Fr Aaron Zahra had addressed all the points the latter had outlined against him in a “final warning”. Mallia had also said he was determined to “find a way to work with the board and the rector” to resolve those issues. 

Despite this, Mallia’s employment was terminated on July 25, on the basis of “usurpation and/or use of employer’s property without obtaining prior consent” and “insubordination with aggravating circumstances”. 

Mallia and the union also argue that a statement by the college claiming that he was not fired for his inclusion policies but as a result of several managerial disputes that remained unresolved, was false and did not tally with the facts of the case. 

Board never sought to meet Mallia

Bonnici said that before his dismissal, Mallia had made several attempts to meet the Dominican provincial but despite his efforts, the meeting never materialised.

Likewise, the school board had never sought to meet with Mallia and he was never given an adequate opportunity to address the reasons cited for dismissal. 

Mallia said the statements made by the board regarding his dismissal were defamatory and he reserved the right to take further legal action.

Mallia was fired from his post last month, a dismissal which he says came about due to his support of two inclusivity programmes that had been running at the Valletta church school. 

The school denies that Mallia was sacked due to his inclusivity policies and maintains that his dismissal was spurned by his refusal to abide by the statute regulating the college and his insistence on making decisions without seeking approval from the college’s board.

Zahra told Times of Malta that Mallia had been refusing to cooperate with his superiors and be accountable to them.

School looks forward to presenting its case before tribunal

In a statement after the case was referred to the tribunal the school rector and board said they welcomed the opportunity to make their case in the appropriate forum where they were confident that truth and justice would be properly served. 

"The Rector and the Board have full confidence in the Industrial Tribunal and shall present their case there," they said.

"In the circumstances, the wellbeing of the students and its staff members remains its topmost priority."