A primary school has been ordered to pay more than €6,000 to a Traveller boy with a disability who was victimised.
Scoil Lios Teilic in Tralee, Co Kerry, was fined the maximimum amount allowed after the finding was made at the Equality Tribunal.
This case was taken by a Traveller woman on behalf of her son. He has Kleinfelter's syndrome, a condition whose symptoms include some learning and behavioural difficulties.
Six years ago his mother took him out of another school after problems arose there and she lodged a complaint under the Equal Status Act.
She then applied to enrol her son at Scoil Lios Teilic.
The principal responded positively but later the Board of Management decided to refuse her application.
The chairman of the board at that time was also chairman of the board of the first school.
The Equality Tribunal has concluded that this child was victimised and has made the maximum award of €6,350, highlighting among other issues the distress caused to him by the school's actions.
The Equality Authority has welcomed the ruling.
