Kevin Flanagan said he was 'left with little option' but to pursue the case
A headteacher is suing the parents of two children who attended his school, accusing them of harassment. Kevin Flanagan is looking to take Keith and Stephanie Critchley to the High Court.
According to their defence, the family deny harassment and point out that Mr Flanagan has not sued for defamation. The response to the Critchleys' defence from Mr Flanagan's representatives said this point is irrelevant, the Liverpool ECHO reports. The family said no complaint was made of their conduct until May 2023. Here Mrs Critchley went to the school raising concerns believing her daughter Leigha was being bullied but Mr Flanagan claims Mrs Critchley behaved aggressively "raising her voice and shouting at him." He claimed this caused Leigha to cry.
In their defence, the Critchleys said their daughter Leigha suffered from anxiety and panic issues as well as a physical medical condition. They also claim their daughter Kayti was bullied by a group she'd thought were friends and "was subjected to name calling, taunting, and insults." The family said this happened "on an almost daily basis" and raised concerns with the school.
Another letter from the school said they had "reason to believe that the letter is false and the matter is a case of patient document fraud." The GP responded to say they did write the letter but apologise for not knowing the school had already investigated the allegations. Mr Flanagan's representatives said other parents raised concerns it would put their children's education "into jeopardy" while one parent, who said her children had secial educational needs , had had no issues and called Mr Flanagan "a fantastic head."
However, the Critchleys said they live close to the school and knew many parents. They do not recall anyone shouting the word and Mrs Critchley does not have a brother. Mr Flanagan is now claiming this is the partner of her sister. After this, a letter was sent from the school's Governors asking the Critchleys to close down the page. They said: "Seeking to undertake a trial of the headteacher and school by social media is a dangerous exercise and we believe it amounts to a course of conduct designed to harass."
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