It seems like we could no longer work together

"I took two or three photos. We take lots of photos in class. … Most of them are for official use and for the parents. They're not meant to be taken off the [classroom] computer."Smith, a Briton who first came to Hong Kong in 1994 and now works for another school in Yuen Long, denies the bag was used to punish the child.He was fired in July and will claim unfair dismissal at a labour tribunal later this month. He said the sacking was for "applying to take a long holiday" and refusing to work on Saturdays after agreeing with the school that he would not have to do so.The school says he was dismissed for not taking part in extracurricular activities, and gives a different account of the plastic bag incident.Headmistress Tina Tse Yee-mei said a teacher received an anonymous e-mail on October 18 with a photo of the boy in the school's uniform attached. The kindergarten immediately told police. In subsequent days, more teachers received the photo, Tse said. They gave detailed statements to police last week.

Tse said she suspected Smith was responsible as the Chinese writing in the e-mail made no sense, but would be consistent with a translation from English using Google Translate."We've always taught our children never to put plastic bags or any bags over their heads. We can't have a teacher condone that and then take a photo of it," she said.She said the photo was clearly taken in a particular classroom and featured decorations that were up last year, when Smith was using the room."We later talked to students, who confirmed that the teacher had put the bag over [the boy's] head. It wasn't part of the game," Tse added.But Tse said Smith and the school "did not part under bad circumstances"."He was only willing to go to class and not willing to participate in other activities," she said. "It seems like we could no longer work together."The Zenith Kindergarten chain will install CCTV cameras in classrooms and activity areas to prevent similar cases, she said.