A teacher has hit out at society's 'state of paranoia' after she was suspended for driving a stranded pupil home and helping another who was struggling with a grandfather's illness.
Heather Wolfson, 56, was suspended from her fixed-term contract with Ysgol y Grango, in Rhos, north Wales, and has never been reinstated.
She claims she was disciplined because her behaviour was considered inappropriate.
But she says her actions were born out of compassion for those in her care and says a culture of fear has developed in many schools.
Mrs Wolfson, who has two grown-up children, believes her 35-year teaching career is now over and feels her reputation has been destroyed.
'I’ve given my life to teaching but now I’ve been rendered unemployable,' she said.
One incident involved Mrs Wolfson giving her phone number to a pupil who was struggling with her grandfather’s illness.
She said: 'This poor student was inconsolable and all I did was give her my number and say ‘if you ever have nowhere else to go, call me’.
'I replied to one text she sent me.
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'Another time I took a pupil home after school because he’d stayed late to take part in an extra project.
'His lift hadn’t arrived and it was dark.
'He said his parents were fine with it and he had no other way of getting home.
'I had no idea I should have had a permission slip.
Under a cloud: Mrs Wolfson was suspended from her fixed-term contract with Ysgol y Grango, in Rhos, north Wales, and has never reinstated
'I was just looking out for them both, it was a mother’s instinct.'
She added: 'Some people might say with so much experience I should’ve known better but when I was training we didn’t have to worry so much about these things.
'If anything it’s people of my generation who need extra guidance and support because there seems to be a state of paranoia in our society now.
'Schools have fallen prey to political correctness and our careers are walking on a tightrope.'
Amanda Harrison, deputy head of Ysgol y Grango, said: 'We believe the matters have now been resolved and as it is a personnel matter it would be inappropriate to comment further.'
Wrexham Council did not wish to comment.
Colin Adkins, an officer for the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) spoke on behalf of Mrs Wolfson and claimed her situation was not uncommon.
He said: 'Schools are too quick to assume allegations are true and some authorities do not seek to achieve what’s best for the school or the pupils.'
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