A HALESOWEN College lecturer was wrongfully sacked after a disgruntled student made false allegations that he asked her out for a drink, an employment tribunal has found.

Kirk Wood, a lecturer in esports at the college on Whittingham Road, was dismissed for gross misconduct last March after a 19-year-old student accused him of asking her out – one of a string of allegations levelled against Mr Wood which employment judge Robert Childe labelled “illogical, outlandish and contradictory".

In his written judgment, the judge concluded Mr Wood had been wrongfully dismissed and ordered the college to pay him £3,431 compensation.

According to the judgment, the 19-year-old student made the allegations together with her boyfriend, in which they also accused Mr Wood of asking her whether she was sexually active with her boyfriend, of being passive-aggressive and sarcastic towards the pair when he found out they were dating and of consistently bringing up his sex and dating life.

The allegations, which the tribunal judge found to be “fabricated”, were made via email in February 2023.

Judge Childe also found evidence provided by the students “was not tested” by the college but “simply taken at face value”.

Two other students also supported the truth of the allegations and the judge concluded that they were part of the 19-year-old girl’s friendship group and “got together to fabricate the allegations.”

The tribunal heard that prior to those accusations, the female student disclosed information to Mr Wood, which led to the teacher recording a safeguarding concern on the college system.

Judge Childe said: “I find that it is more likely than not that (she) was unhappy that the claimant had raised safeguarding concerns about her, which the respondent (the college) had subsequently taken up with her family.

“I add to this the fact that (she) was known to be a student with challenging attitudes and behaviours and conclude that it is likely (she) was a student who would raise the allegations falsely as revenge for what she perceived to be the claimant interfering in her home life."

He added: “(She) would have known that the allegations were potentially career-ending for the claimant as a teacher.”

According to the judgment, Mr Wood requested four witnesses who supported his case be interviewed and asked that relevant notes he recorded on the college’s systems about the 19-year-old girl be provided.

But the tribunal found Halesowen College did not interview the witnesses or provide Mr Wood’s requested information before dismissing him.

Judge Childe found the allegations were made up and concluded Mr Wood “did not conduct himself in a manner which amounted to gross misconduct and justified summary dismissal”.

Mr Wood began teaching at Halesowen College in August 2022.