PSC to deal with reinstatement of Fancy head teacher today

The matter pertaining to the reinstatement of the head teacher of the Fancy Government School is expected to be dealt with by the Public Service Commissions (PSC) today.

Head teacher Colbert Bowens was suspended from his post by the PSC in November 2015, after he was found by a Coroner’s Inquest to be culpable in the deaths of seven students who died in a vehiclular accident at Rock Gutter, Owia, {{more}}on January 12, 2015.

Following the verdict, Bowens was charged with manslaugher by gross negligence in relation to the students’ deaths, but on May 4, 2016, the charges against him were withdrawn.

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Union of Teachers (SVGTU) yesterday issued a release calling on the PSC to reinstate Bowens with immediate effect.

“Since the date of the charges against him, Mr Bowens continues to be suspended from his post despite being cleared of all charges on the 4th May, 2016.

“The SVGTU regards the continued suspension of Mr Bowens as a grave travesty of justice of the most egregious kind. It is unfair in all of the realms of natural justice to continue to punish Mr Bowens for crimes which he did not commit and for which he was duly cleared by the laws of the state.

“The SVGTU condemns in the strongest terms any further persecution of Mr Bowens and reiterates the call to reinstate him immediate effect, with all of the benefits intact,” the release signed by SVGTU PRO Wendy Bynoe said.

However, Minister of Education St Clair Prince told SEARCHLIGHT yesterday that the Ministry has requested of the PSC that Bowens be reinstated, but the PSC has not met since the head teacher’s charges were dropped. Prince said the PSC is expected to meet today (September 6), following which Bowens’ status is expected to be regularlized.

Bowens, who is also a pastor of the Apostolic Faith Mission Church, was charged along with the driver of the vehicle Ravannan Nanton and the conductor Ehud Myers.

When he testified in court, Bowens said that both he and Myers made the decisions in relation to servicing the bus.