Ruel walks

Ruel Reid yesterday resigned as Jamaica College (JC) principal, bringing to an end months of turmoil between stakeholders of the all-boys’ high school and the Ministry of Education triggered by corruption charges he is facing in court.

Notice of Reid’s departure was sent in joint news releases issued by him and the JC board of management just before 6:00 pm on the day when the special leave he was granted by the education ministry in March 2016 to serve as education minister was set to expire.

The release noted that with the expiration of the special leave “Reid was contractually obligated to return to work as the school’s principal. Nonetheless, an agreement has been reached for Mr Reid to demit office as of the 20th of November, 2021,” the joint release stated. It did not give specifics of the agreement.

“It is our view that this agreement is in the best interest of the parties and more importantly, it will allow Jamaica College to focus exclusively on its mandate,” the release stated.

Reid remains before the court, having been arrested in October 2019 along with his wife Sharen, their daughter Sharelle, Jamaica Labour Party Councillor Kim Brown Lawrence, and Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) President Fritz Pinnock.

Reid and Pinnock are facing charges of breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act, conspiracy to defraud, misconduct in a public office at common law and breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act in relation to the education ministry and the CMU.

The matter of Reid’s tenure at JC has been dragging since then, and last week news reports emerged that the JC board had recommended a five-year extension of his leave. However the recommendation was not approved by the ministry.

Last week as well, theJamaica Observerhad reported that majority of the executive members of the Jamaica College Old Boys’ Association and the Jamaica College Parent-Teachers’ Association had resigned in protest against the position taken by the board.

However, board chairman Michael Bernard said he was unaware of any mass resignations.

Yesterday’s release pointed out that Reid was appointed JC principal September 1, 2007. The release stated that under his stewardship “the school experienced significant improvement in its academic achievements and overall discipline” and many of the initiatives which are currently being pursued at the school were conceptualised during his tenure.