BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Feb 12, CMC – A physical education teacher has filed a lawsuit against the Barbados government seeking more than half a million dollars (One Barbados dollar=US$0.50 cents) claiming that he suffered “pain” and “embarrassment” after being suspended for contesting the 2022 general election
Alwyn Babb, who is also an athletics coach, together with fellow teacher Pedro Shepherd, had been charged by the Ministry of the Public Service and sent on half-pay leave for allegedly breaching General Orders of the Code of Discipline by running as a candidate for the main opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP).
While the two teachers were initially placed on leave for six months, Babb’s suspension was extended for an additional three months.
In 2023, a High Court judge ruled that the General Order which prohibited public officers from actively participating in politics, was unconstitutional. However, this decision came after Babb had already been found guilty and penalised.
Now, the 58-year-old Babb is seeking BDS$576 000 in damages from the Attorney General of Barbados for the period of his suspension and for the hurt, pain and suffering of having disciplinary charges brought against him.
The matter came up before Madam Justice Barbara Cooke- Alleyne on Tuesday with Deputy Solicitor General Marsha Lougheed and Acting Senior State Counsel Fianne Best appeared on behalf of the Attorney General’s Office.
The case was adjourned to April 22.
In his lawsuit, attorney Ricardo Harrison said that Babb’s suspension had affected his ability to work as a teacher, depriving him of his livelihood.
He is also arguing that his client was treated “like a pariah” before all the charges were dropped and he was reinstated,
“Even when Babb was travelling overseas with athletes, persons in checking his bona fides wanted to know how serious this matter was before they could grant him certain statuses,” Harrison told the Barbados TODAY on line publication.
“In his own interest, we felt that he needed some sort of monetary relief to compensate for what this would have effectively done to his career, having been a nationally and internationally recognised athletics coach.”
Babb, who has been in the teaching profession for more than 25 years, is seeking exemplary and aggravated damages, legal costs, and any other relief the court may deem just, along with interest.
“The grounds upon which the reliefs are sought are that the act or decision refusal was irrational, illegal, taking into account irrelevant matters; legitimate expectation, in that the applicant has practised ever since his appointment as a teacher in Barbados in 1997 as a specialist in physical education; unreasonableness; proportionality; and that the decision interferes with the rights of the applicant exercised for more than 20 years, and which affects the applicant’s livelihood and established practice of teaching,” he said in the lawsuit.
The lawwsuit also argues that the Attorney General, as the respondent, was required to act rationally, reasonably, and proportionately and adopt a course of action that least interfered with Babb’s rights.
Harrison said that his client was entitled to a fair hearing and an opportunity to present his case before any decision was made or confirmed.
CMC/gh/ir/2025