Sacked Tiny Town teacher wins $16,500

An early-childhood teacher sacked after being accused of hitting a child has been granted $16,500 for unfair dismissal.

Silia Autagavia, a team leader at a Tiny Town centre in Pakuranga, sought remedies including reimbursement of lost pay and compensation for hurt and humiliation.

The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) ordered Tiny Town to pay Ms Autagavia $8000 for eight weeks' remuneration and $8500 for personal grievance.

She was dismissed after Tiny Town co-owner Paul Wilson received a written complaint from Reshmi Chand, an employee from an adjoining centre, on December 11, 2009, alleging that a few days earlier, she had seen Ms Autagavia assaulting a child.

Ms Chand said she had seen Ms Autagavia walk into a kitchen where a boy was on tip toes trying to reach into the sink area.

Ms Autagavia had "grabbed the child aggressively by the arm and gave him one whack on his back with an open palm", Ms Chand alleged.

She had then pulled the crying, screaming boy by an ear to the play area.

The ERA said that once Mr Wilson received the letter and established Ms Chand was a "reliable eyewitness", Ms Autagavia was subjected to a disciplinary process that afternoon with no advance notice.

Ms Autagavia was told she was dismissed, and was quickly escorted off the premises. She denied the allegations.

ERA member Rachel Larmer said Tiny Town's investigation and decision making breached natural justice, statutory good faith obligations and its own policies.

- NZPA