Hackney councillor Brian Bell accused of ‘disrespecting’ education head Tricia Okoruwa

Councillor Brian Bell: ding-dong over appointment of headteacher at Parkwood Primary School

A Labour councillor breached codes of conduct by “disrespecting” Hackney Council’s education director, a Town Hall report has concluded.

Councillor Brian Bell was due to appear before the council’s Standards Committee at a Town Hall hearing this evening to answer accusations about alleged inappropriate conduct relating to the appointment of a headteacher at Parkwood Primary School, where he was Chair of governors.

He failed to attend due to ill health and the matter was adjourned by Hackney Council’s Deputy Mayor Sophie Linden.

A report by an officer from the council’s legal department states that education director Tricia Okoruwa complained in May that Cllr Bell was “quite intimidating” in his responses to emails about the process of recruiting a new headteacher for Parkwood Primary School.

Ms Okoruwa also complained Cllr Bell was “disrespectful” to education department staff as well as “obstructive”, “unprofessional” and “aggressive”, the report states.

Four other staff members from the education department also complained about Cllr Bell’s conduct.

In June the Standards Assessment Sub-Committee considered the five complaints and wrote a string of emails to Cllr Bell calling on him to apologise, but he allegedly failed to do so.

Sophie Linden told tonight’s hearing Cllr Bell had apologised for being unable to attend, but she added: “This matter needs to be resolved in a satisfactory way by a monitoring officer by the end of the month. If that doesn’t happen it will come back for another hearing.”

The report on the matter can be read on the council’s website but 32 documents relating to it have been classed as restricted and so cannot be viewed by the public.

Cllr Bell represents Brownswood ward and has been a Hackney councillor since 2006. He serves on several sub-committees including the licensing and planning sub-committees.

The Hackney Citizen has contacted Cllr Bell to offer him the chance to comment and is awaiting a reply.