Melbourne art school principal claims she was sacked via Instagram while on holiday

A Melbourne principal claims she was sacked via Instagram from her job as she jetsetted around Europe on approved leave.

Former LCIM Dean and Principal Karen Webster (left) is suing the school for a breach of the Fair Work act.

A Melbourne art school principal claims she got sacked via Instagram from her $270k a year job as she jetsetted around Europe on approved leave during “the most important term of the year”.

Karen Webster has filed court action against boutique design school LCI Melbourne, stating she was fired as dean and principal via a direct message from the chief executive while she was on holiday in February.

Happy snaps on social media show the high-profile fashion designer and academic, who spent almost three decades at RMIT, was exploring Paris at the time after travelling across Italy, where she toured exhibitions, opera shows and restaurants.

But LCI Melbourne denies her claim of a Fair Work breach, with board chair Prof Warren Bebbington AM telling the Herald Sun it was “just not correct”.

“No-one has ever been fired at LCI for being on leave, nor was she summarily dismissed,” he said.

Former LCI Melbourne design institute Dean and Principal Karen Webster is suing the school. Picture: Instagram

Webster says she was sacked via for taking annual leave during “the most important term of the year”. Picture: Instagram

According to documents before the Federal Circuit and Family Court, Ms Webster states she was on holiday when she received an Instagram private message from LCI Melbourne chief executive Claude Marchand, which read: “You are not working at RMIT. You are working for a family business. Why pay that salary if you are in Europe while our teachers and students are deputing the most important term of the year?”

“Wow. Big misunderstanding between us about role and responsibilities of a Dean & Principal,” the message continued.

“I gave instructions to cut accesses an deal with termination effective today (aka date I realized (sic)).

“We’ll deal with that when you are back in Australia.”

Court papers suggest that Ms Webster was asked to reduce her leave balance at the Collingwood design school in mid-2022, and soon after was approved leave by Prof Bebbington for a month-long holiday between January and February.

Webster pictured on her European holiday in January.

On the day she received the Instagram message from Mr Marchand, Ms Webster submits that she also received a letter “notifying her that her employment was being terminated with immediate effect”.

But Prof Bebbington told the Herald Sun, “we don’t have staff fired for taking leave”.

Rather, he said Ms Webster left in February and the tertiary design institute – with just 150 students – had since undergone a restructure, with the position of principal and dean no longer in existence.

Maurice Blackburn lawyers, which is representing Ms Webster, refused to comment on the case.

Ms Webster claims almost $800k in a lost difference in earnings over six years, along with $100k in general damages for “hurt, humiliation and distress”, according to paperwork filed with the court on April 12.

Documents show the salary and superannuation for the role of dean and principal amounted to $270,000 a year, or $1.35m over a five-year contract.

A directions hearing into the case is listed before the Federal Circuit and Family Court on May 9.