Jamaica College acknowledges the Supreme Court ruling that the claim filed against Basil should not have been filed in the name of the principal as claimant, and was therefore struck out.

The claim seeks an account of Mr. Jarrett’s handling of school funds. The Court seemed to agree with Mr. Jarrett’s lawyers that the claim should have been filed by the Board of JC which could not delegate this power to the principal.

The school had countered with a submission that, as a matter of law, the Board was not a legal entity, and the claim was therefore properly brought by the principal. The court's decision pertains solely to technical matters and is entirely disconnected from the merits of the case.

It unequivocally does not suggest that Mr. Jarrett will evade accountability for his actions. The court granted leave to appeal its decision, and this is being pursued vigorously. If necessary, the claim will be filed in whatever name is appropriate.

The claim against Mr. Jarrett arose following a claim made against the school by a supplier for the payment of US$20,494.26 due for uniforms delivered to the school under an agreement made by the principal with the supplier.

The principal had asked Mr Jarrett to sell the uniforms from the school’s gift shop. Mr Jarrett has acknowledged receiving and selling the uniforms, but states that the unincorporated old boys association he ran as President between 2014 and 2022 was independent and autonomous of Jamaica College, and had no obligation to account to JC for funds raised from the sale of the uniforms, or from donations, fundraisers or any other source. He has stated on oath that all such funds are the “property” of his association and that he had no obligation to explain how they were used.

The school is also demanding an accounting of what Jarrett has done with various other categories of monies, including:

• Money paid over for the benefit of the school from the First Global Affinity VISA Credit Card Program which pays a 1% reward fee to schools whenever the credit cards are used. These payments were discovered to have been made to a bank account that Mr Jarrett has refused to hand over to this day.
• Donations made specifically for the benefit of supplementing staff salaries, but which were never paid over to the school;
• General donations from old boys to the school;
• Donations solicited in the United States for the benefit of the school by way of Cash App, Pay Pal and Go Fund me platforms; The most fundamental issue to be contested is the notion that any person can solicit funds, purportedly for the school, using the school’s name, logo and premises and then state that they have no duty to account to the school for what they do with those funds. This we will vigorously pursue despite whatever manoeuvres Mr Jarrett makes. Lance Hylton Chairman Jamaica College Board of Management