An Equality Officer found in favour of A Boys National School in a complaint brought by Mr. X and Ms. Y on behalf of their daughter Z, after the school refused her admission to its mainstream classes. The Equality Tribunal decision was dated 13 March 2009.
The parents argued that the school had lost its exemption for single-gender schools by admitting girls to a separate Special Autistic Unit. The school said it admitted girls only to that unit, which catered for children with autism.
The officer found the school’s enrolment policy clearly identified it as a boys-only school and that its exemption applied. The unit’s purpose was to meet the special needs of children with autism, and its operation did not mean the school had surrendered that exemption. The officer found no gender discrimination in refusing the application for a mainstream place. The victimisation claim also failed because there was no evidence that the girl or her parents had been victimised. The officer found the complaint was within the time limit because the boys-only policy remained in operation during the relevant school year.