TTUTA condemns diplomatic ‘cover up’

The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) has strongly condemned attempts to “cover up” the biting incident involving the wife of an official at the Indian High Commission and a teacher at the Diego Martin Girls RC School, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian High Commission.

In a release yesterday, TTUTA stated that following a meeting with the teacher Michelle Mylan, they intended to send a “strong letter to the Minister of Education” rebuking the lack of concern shown by officials of that ministry. Mylan was bitten approximately 16 times on her hand by the wife of the diplomat, following her refusal to let her son compete in a race during the school’s sports day. Speaking with Newsday, Oliver said TTUTA had issued a call for an investigation into the matter, but that these calls had been disregarded. Stating that Mylan had met with officials of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Indian High Commission last week, Oliver said TTUTA’s Industrial Relations Officer Matthew James had been denied entry to the meeting.

He revealed that at the meeting Mylan had been offered an apology by Indian High Commissioner Virendra Gupta and another member of his staff, but that Mylan’s attacker had not yet made an attempt to apologise to her. Instead, an attempt was made to badger Mylan into accepting the apology offered to her, and to leave the matter alone at the meeting, claimed Oliver. However, he added that since the incident, Mylan’s attacker seems to be gloating and “throwing” about the words “diplomatic immunity.” Oliver questioned whether diplomatic immunity afforded one the right to behave in such a manner, and expressed shock at the state of Mylan’s damaged hand. He said he doubted whether the teeth marks on her arm would ever fade. Additionally, he said the Education Ministry has yet to offer any words of comfort or counselling to Mylan, who is now on medical leave.

Describing Mylan’s mental state as “very traumatized,” he said she felt “deserted by the Ministry of Education”and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeared to be more concerned about preserving relations between the two countries, than an official’s wife attacking one the nation’s teachers. Pledging to fight for compensation for Mylan, he said TTUTA further intended to demand an apology from the attacker, seek compensation for Mylan, and ensure that Mylan met with the Union’s lawyer to deal with relevant legal matters surrounding the issue. Newsday attempted to contact Education Minister Hazel Manning, and though reports confirmed that Manning was in office, we were directed to the Communications Department. Attempts to contact Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Manniram Rambissoon, and the press office at the Indian High Commission proved futile.