After the Free Press Journal reported the story of St. Joseph's High School, Juhu, where the headmistress, Mrs. Linda D'costa, alleged not receiving her rightful Principal's salary despite her dedicated service, a new development has emerged.
The ongoing dispute between Mrs D'costa and the Manager has led her to take her fight public by launching a petition. She aims to raise awareness about her situation and seek justice for the financial mistreatment she has faced.
Mrs D'costa, who has dedicated 27 years to the school, with the last five as Principal, claims her approval is being withheld by the newly appointed Manager, a priest, resulting in severe financial mistreatment. She alleges receiving a salary equal to that of a junior teacher instead of her entitled salary.
When the FPJ reached out to the manager for a response, he denied all the allegations, stating, "Her file is in the approval process at the department, but due to the MLC elections and the code of conduct, it has been delayed. Once the elections are over, the education inspector has assured us that the file will be approved."
Talking about her decision to launch the petition, Mrs D'costa stated, "It the last resort because we have seen absolutely no action being taken since the last three years, despite several attempts." She expressed hoping that the petition would bring attention to the injustice she is going through.
On asking why she chose the petition route to raise awareness, Mrs D'costa said, "We got to know about these petitions after ourselves signing a petition in favour of another principal facing injustice."
Despite taking this step, Mrs. D'costa reports no direct reaction from the new Manager or the school authorities.
The petition with a set target of 500 signatures, Mrs. D'costa said, "We are awaiting a response or some action from the Manager. All I'm asking is my five years' salary, which he stopped the department from paying me."
As of now, the petition has garnered 244 signatures since its launch on May 29, 2024. "The response has been overwhelming. We're truly fortunate to have so many people supporting us," added Mrs. D'costa.
