Certified diabetes educator and education credit credit analyst Mike D’Antonio has told the BBC he was terminated from teaching at the same school he had worked at for more than 20 years.
D’Anonio was fired in March after he said he was asked to leave because he refused to take part in a new policy that required all teachers to undergo drug testing.
He said he had been told that a drug test would “make it difficult for me to work at my job”.
“I have been told there is a new drug testing policy,” he said.
“I am not part of it.
I don’t have to do it.”
D’Annunzio said he believed he had a right to refuse to take a test.
“They [the test] have been a very bad decision and I have had to deal with the repercussions of that,” he told the ABC.
“There was no drug testing and I think it is very clear that there is something wrong with that.”
Dangono said he felt betrayed by the education system.
“What I saw and what I know from my work is the education sector is completely broken.
There are no standards.
Teachers are not being paid properly.
There is a lot of incompetence and corruption in the system,” he added.
“My heart is broken and I’m just really frustrated.”
“I feel betrayed” The ABC’s Chris Broadbent, reporting from Canberra, asked D’annunzian about the policy change and said he thought it was “an embarrassment”.
Mr Broadbent said it was likely D’Angelo would be seeking compensation for his loss of job and income, as well as being affected by the policy. “
It’s a shame and I don’st know what to do about it.”
Mr Broadbent said it was likely D’Angelo would be seeking compensation for his loss of job and income, as well as being affected by the policy.
The ABC has contacted the ACT Government for comment.
A Department of Education spokesperson said: “We’re not commenting on individual cases but we’ve been made aware of the concerns raised by Mike Davenon and are in contact with him.”
Education credit has been a lucrative sector for the ACT since it was created in 2001.
“It’s very important that we have a culture where people can come forward and get support and help, regardless of their circumstances,” Ms Groom said.
Topics:education,education-and-training,education,australiaFirst posted March 19, 2019 11:40:16Contact Amy RimmerMore stories from New South Wales