Siparia principal proceeds with court action

Principal of the troubled Siparia West Secondary school, Sookoo Sonnylal, has made good on his threat to take Education Minister Anthony Garcia to court over the minister’s failure to reinstate him as principal.

Lawyers representing Sonnylal yesterday filed a High Court action, which seeks the court’s permission to review the minister’s decision to remove him as principal of the school.

The matter is expected to be heard today in the Port of Spain High Court by Justice Devindra Rampersad.

Last Thursday, Sonnylal’s attorneys Anand Ramlogan, SC, and Douglas Bayley, gave the minister the ultimatum to reinstate him.

Sonnylal was removed from the school on October 10 after a video was uploaded to social media depicting a confrontation between him and students.

Bayley provided the background into the incident, saying the principal was “set up” by the students and was subjected to threats.

Sonnylal, in his lawsuit, says the minister’s decision to remove him as principal of the school is illegal and the only authority to do so was the Teaching Service Commission.