Prince Harry's art teacher wins unfair dismissal case

An art teacher who claimed she was ordered to help Prince Harry with his school work won her unfair dismissal case against the prestigious Eton College on Monday.

Sarah Forsyth had secretly recorded a conversation with Harry, the second son of Prince Charles, to back up her claim that she had been ordered by a superior to assist the prince with his art project.

Forsyth claimed that she was treated unfairly by the college in discussions about extending her contract after the summer of 2003. She also accused her head of department, Ian Burke, of bullying her.

While upholding her claim for unfair dismissal, the employment tribunal rejected her claim of sex discrimination.

The college claimed that she was dismissed because she did not meet its standards. The tribunal faulted Eton for putting the onus on Forsyth to prove that she merited a further contract, rather than relying on its own assessment of her performance.

The school was also criticised for failing to produce any written 'capability procedure'.

Eton College issued a statement saying it still believed Forsyth wasn't up to its standards.

"It is also the college's case, still to be determined, that Forsyth should receive no compensation as she would in any event have been summarily dismissed for gross misconduct for secretly tape-recording a conversation with a pupil," the statement said.