Chairs of governors from four at risk village primary schools in Ceredigion have been threatened with being sued for defamation and being removed from their positions by Ceredigion County Council over their call for the authority to launch an independent investigation into allegations that Cabinet members were lied to by council chiefs over whether process was followed in drawing up closure plans.

Ceredigion County Council launched statutory consultations into plans to close Ysgol Llanfihangel y Creuddyn, Ysgol Craig yr Wylfa, Ysgol Llangwyryfon, and Ysgol Syr John Rhys in August last year.

That decision was reversed at a meeting in December following formal challenges and a row over how the process was carried out.

As reported extensively in the Cambrian News, the move caused outrage in the communities, with a heated meeting hearing allegations of lying by officers who prepared the report as well as senior staff who said the plans had the Welsh Government ‘seal of approval.’

In a letter sent to Cabinet members ahead of the meeting governing body Chairs Paul Anthony Davies from Ysgol Llanfihangel y Creuddyn; Carol Bainbridge from Ysgol Craig yr Wylfa; Nudd Lewis from Ysgol Llangwyryfon; and Huw Morris from Ysgol Syr John Rhys took aim at Chief Executive Eifion Evans and education chief Barry Rees, who were accused of lying to members by saying the plans had the backing of Welsh Government and called for the pair to be investigated and disciplined.

“We are deeply concerned that the damage done to our schools is the direct result of misrepresentations made by Barry Rees and Eifion Evans,” the governors wrote to Cabinet members.

“Mr Rees and Mr Evans both stated that assurances had been received that this was the case, indeed stating that “a seal of approval” had been given.

“As you will be aware, according to a letter by Welsh Government Education Secretary Lynne Neagle, no such assurances were given.

“We cannot emphasise enough how much distress and anguish your decision has caused.

“Your decision was the direct result of being misled by officers.”

Ceredigion County Council has now hit back at the governing body chairs with a legal letter, seen by the Cambrian News, being sent to the four chairs saying their allegations had “served to seriously damage the personal and professional integrity of officers of the Council.”

In a letter from instructed solicitor Mark Powell KC, Ceredigion council’s members warned the quartet that their accusations were “defamatory in nature”, and render them “liable for a claim for substantial damages for defamation.”

“You would not be covered by any insurance cover you might have arising out of your position of Chair of Governors as you, by publishing such unfounded allegations, are acting outside the scope of your role,” the letter warned.

“Indeed, it may be felt that by acting as you have, your suitability to remain as a Governor should be called into question.”

“In your letter you request that disciplinary measures are taken against the Officers,” the letter says.

“You are not only calling into question their professional integrity but you are alleging that they should be disciplined and thus that their employment status be put in jeopardy.

“You do this with not a shred of evidence justifying your claim and you must therefore expect that such behaviour will have consequences.

“It is not acceptable for defamatory statements to be made about Council officials by Chairs of Governors who did not bother to check the true position before making false allegations.

“There must be no more repetition of these allegations… to avoid the necessity of a claim for defamation against you.”