Tempers flared at the Anatol Rodgers High School yesterday after police officers and security guards blocked Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) President Belinda Wilson from having a meeting with teachers at the school.

The teachers are reportedly fed with up with the school’s principal and want her removed.

Mrs. Wilson said she had scheduled a meeting with teachers to handle the issue, but she said when she arrived to the school around 1:00 p.m. she met a drove of police officers.

“When I arrived to the school around 1:00 p.m., I met a white van with police officers with guns and bullet proof vests. They were parked right in front of the school. They left and there were four inspectors in khaki and four in white uniform and the head of security in the school. I put on my signal to turn into the gate but I saw the chain on the gate,” the BUT chief said.

“We will file a trade dispute. Our lawyers have been advised to send the minister a letter showing him that he is wrong. He has breached not only the industrial relations act but also our union’s agreement.”

Other cars were allowed to go in and out of the school premises.

Mrs. Wilson said she believes that the principal of the school is trying to prolong the inevitable.

“For the last year or year-and-a-half there have been many complaints about the principal’s disrespect towards the staff and parents and even students. She is very ineffective and the teachers are uncomfortable and really agitated. It’s our job to find out how our members are doing and that’s what we are going to do,” she said.

Things then went from bad to worse.

BUT Vice President Zane Lightbourne got into a brief altercation with security officials.

One officer pushed Mr. Lightbourne when he approached the gate.

But the BUT vice president said he plans to ensure that that officer is punished.

“The district superintendent who was in the back of the security guard called me to him and he wanted to speak with me. I went and attempted to go and the gentleman put his hand on me. I am very upset that he would put his hand on a teacher, an administrator and one of the leaders of the union and for them to be misguided to break the law,” he said.

“Ignorance is no excuse. So he will be dealt with accordingly and that action will be taken to the full extent to send a strong message that you have to know whether your directives are legal and you have to use a bit of common sense,” he said.

“He didn’t use that and so we will use the legal part of it. You don’t put your hands on teachers.”