The Principal and Board of Governors welcome the findings of the Standards and Privileges Committee into the complaint against former MLA Dr Patrick Brown, brought by the College in June 2023.
The Committee found that Dr Brown’s ‘conduct brought the Assembly into disrepute’; that he ‘failed to observe the principles of Objectivity and Selflessness’ and that he ‘conflated what he claims to be in the public interest with what is, in fact, his own personal interest’. The Committee concluded that it ‘would have recommended that a sanction be imposed by the Assembly had the respondent remained an MLA.‘
The Report can be viewed in full here:
Principal Steve Pagan commented: “I would like to thank Dr Melissa McCullough, the Commissioner for Standards at the Northern Ireland Assembly, for her scrupulous guidance throughout this process and the Committee for its comprehensive investigation. Their Reports underline the importance and value of the Nolan Principles in public life.
I would like pay tribute to the Board of Governors at Shimna for its commitment and fortitude during this difficult period. No less than any other school, we are sustained by the selfless dedication of our governors, most of whom are current parents or staff, who give up their time freely to serve the College.”
The priority of the Principal and Board remains the education and welfare of our students. We will continue to work with parents, carers and our wider community to ensure that, as an integrated college, we continue to provide an excellent, inclusive education for our young people.
We look forward to moving on from this affair and focusing exclusively on the business of running and governing the College.
Denise Medea, Chair of the Board of Governors
Michael Kennedy, Vice Chair of the Board of Governors
Steve Pagan, Principal
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