Ex-Kerelaw Staff ‘Frozen Out’ Of Jobs

Nine newly appointed care workers were sent home because they had worked at a school plagued by child abuse. The former Kerelaw staff’s jobs were frozen before they carried out a day’s work.

The nine stayed at home on full pay for up to four weeks and started with North Ayrshire Council this month after further background checks. By then they had been paid around £2200 each.

But some claim they are blacklisted despite being cleared of blame for abuse at the the List D school in Stevenston, Ayrshire. One said: “We have done nothing but are tarred by the ‘abuse’ brush. It must stop.”

Kerelaw was closed last year after a Glasgow City Council probe found up to 40 staff were involved in abuse dating back to the 1970s.

Ex-Kerelaw art teacher Matthew George, 56, of Largs, was jailed for 10 years for abuse and care worker John Muldoon, 53, of Irvine, was caged for two-and-a-half years for indecency. Former Kerelaw headmaster Bob Forest said: “Just having a former association with the school is a black mark.”

Last night Glasgow City Council denied discrimination. But they added: “We did take a decision to refer the names of former Kerelaw employees to the Scottish Executive under the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act.”