PE teacher who ‘lost career’ after colleague branded him danger to women sues for libel

Ms Agilah-Hood, who describes herself online as “a mixed race, queer, neurodivergent visual artist, creative practitioner and performer”, sent her email to his head teacher during lockdown in March 2021.

Mr Fry said his contract with Northwick Manor ended in August 2021 and was not renewed.

The case reached court last month, with Mrs Justice Hill asked to decide as a preliminary issue whether the contents of the email were defamatory.

Giving judgment last week, she said: “The claimant claims that he suffered considerable hurt, distress and embarrassment by these statements and that his reputation has been damaged irrecoverably.

“He asserts that his contract with Northwick Manor was not renewed after the defendant sent this email and that he has been unable to obtain further employment as a teacher.

“At the trial, the defendant submitted that it was her honest opinion that the claimant posed a risk to women.

“She realised as she said in the email that she had ‘zero’ evidence to back up her concerns, but she believed they were facts.

“The claimant referred to the fact that twice in her email the defendant said she had no evidence. The defendant had not specified where she got the information from. It was no more than gossip.”

She found that the “ordinary meaning” of the words in the email were that Mr Fry was a “safeguarding risk” and “posed a physical danger to female staff at Northwick Manor and to women generally”.

“The natural and ordinary meaning of the statements complained of … was that there were reasonable grounds to suspect that the claimant was guilty of sexual misconduct,” she added.

It would also be read as meaning that Mr Fry is “not fit for his job as a teacher” and lacks “professional honesty and integrity”, she concluded, finding that the meaning of the statements were defamatory.

Unless the parties agree to a settlement, the case will proceed to a full trial.