Department of Education ordered to pay teacher, principal, $35,000 and $45,000 damages, for breaches of collective agreement and statutory health and safety obligations arising from uncontrolled behaviour of special needs student

A New Brunswick labour arbitrator has held that a Department of Education operating a provincial school board must pay a teacher and principal aggravated damages of $35,000 and $45,000 respectively – as well as wage loss damages to the principal who took premature retirement following a diagnosis of PTSD –  for breaching its statutory and collective agreement obligations to protect the health and safety of its teaching staff from assaults by a student with special needs.