A former teacher was yesterday ordered to pay €1,000 in libel damages to the St Edwards’ College bursar over an e-mail she had sent to 47 colleagues.

Sandro Bruno told Magistrate Francesco Depasquale that, in his capacity as bursar, he administered its accounts department and also handled the employment contracts of all staff. He said that Francesca Stivala had been engaged as a temporary teacher for the scholastic year 2011/2012, terminating her employment on August 31, 2012.

However, she had asked to be paid for the month of September 2012 too. Her request was rejected by the college and she took the matter to the Labour Office, which deemed her claim unjustified.

In November 2012, Ms Stivala sent an e-mail to all staff members saying the college’s accounting department was paying teachers on a one-year contract for only 11 months. She said this was proof of the department’s “creative skills” as well as a “gross mistreatment of temporary teachers”.

The court also heard that, with the e-mail, Ms Stivala attached a photo of two persons, including a man who was portrayed saying: “għax ħa ngħidlek [let me tell you] – I mess with people for a living”.

Mr Bruno claimed both the e-mail and the photo were libellous in his regard, saying the two men featured in the photo were clearly recognisable as himself and his deputy.

Ms Stivala admitted she had sent the e-mail to warn other teachers who might find themselves in her position. She said she had produced the image attached to the e-mail from a photograph.

The magistrate said Mr Bruno was clearly identifiable from the photograph, adding that the academic staff at the college had been shocked by the e-mail they had received. Both the e-mail and the image posted by Ms Stivala were libellous in Mr Bruno’s regard, the court ruled.