A FUNDRAISING page has been set up to help cover the legal fees surrounding a Basingstoke headteacher's employment tribunal, and raise awareness of the case. 

Paul Mundy-Castle, interim headteacher at The Coppice Spring Academy, in Pack Lane, is embroiled in a row with his last employer over his dismissal and is taking his case to tribunal.

The headteacher was dismissed from his role as headteacher at Woodcote High School in Croydon in July last year.

A claim from Mr Mundy-Castle against Woodcote High School has been accepted by London South Employment Tribunal.

READ MORE: Basingstoke headteacher dismissed from last job taking former employer to tribunal

The specific details of this have not yet been made public, however Mr Mundy-Castle posted on his public LinkedIn profile to say the claim relates to a contract to build a new canteen.

He has also claimed on documents posted online that he was racially discriminated against by his former employer.

Now, a fundraiser has been set up by Croydon Cougars' Basketball Club asking for donations to cover the £40,000 legal fees surrounding Mr Mundy-Castle's tribunal.

The fundraiser says: “I have been inundated by supportive messages from people from all walks of life, and through the Go-Fund me account that has been created, I am appealing to anyone who would like to support me financially.”

So far, more than £4,000 has been donated.

Any money that is not used in Mr Mundy-Castle's defence will be given to Croydon Cougars to “support this much-needed provision in the Croydon community”.

The fundraiser for the headteacher, who used to play basketball professionally, details his struggles in the UK after he emigrated to England with his family aged 15.

The page says that a particular incident had a 'lasting impact' on Mr Mundy-Castle, who was named London’s Teacher of the Year in 2005.

“My survivor mindset spurred me to learn about law, legislation and policy and use this to challenge injustice where I have witnessed or experienced it,” the fundraiser says, adding: “I refuse to allow the negativity I have faced to paralyse me to stupefied inactivity or animosity towards my white counterparts.”

The fundraiser says that since Mr Mundy-Castle left Woodcote High School his attempts to find “gainful employment have been hindered” by “tip-offs to local newspapers in boroughs where I have sought employment and poor references casting doubts on my professional integrity”.

It added: “This is why I am left with no option but to defend my name in court”.

Catch 22 Multi-Academies Trust Limited, the social business that runs Coppice Spring Academy, said it was aware of Mr Mundy-Castle’s position in relation to his dismissal from his last job and said he had been “fully transparent” about his circumstances.

Coppice Spring, which educates pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, was graded as ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted following an inspection in March, shortly after Mr Mundy-Castle joined the school.

SEE ALSO: Basingstoke secondary school in 'serious decline' with behaviour 'beyond control'

An earlier version of this story incorrectly implied that Mr Mundy-Castle had set up the fundraiser, when in fact it had been set up by Croydon Cougars. We apologise for the error. To see the GoFundMe go to gofundme.com/f/support-paul-mundycastle-tribunal-costs