Pandora’s Box

After Prometheus’ theft of the secret of fire, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to create the woman Pandora as part of the punishment for mankind. Pandora was given many seductive gifts from Aphrodite, Hermes, Hera, Charites, and Horae. For fear of additional reprisals, Prometheus warned his brother Epimetheus not to accept any gifts from Zeus, but Epimetheus did not listen, and married Pandora. Pandora had been given a large box and instruction by Zeus to keep it closed, but she had also been given the gift of curiosity, and ultimately opened it. When she opened it, all of the evils, ills, diseases, and burdensome labour that mankind had not known previously, escaped from the box, but it is said, that at the very bottom of her box, there lay hope.

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Since I started my blog on 01 February 2008, it has now received over 75,000 visits and several hundred e-mails. (too many for me to acknowledge, let alone to reply to !) Never before did I appreciate the scale of the problem of false allegations. It is of worldwide pandemic proportion, affecting teachers, carers, hospital workers ... the list goes on. Many have asked for details about my case but my focus has remained on fighting for all teachers and to change legislation, policies and practices, so that no one in the future will suffer the experience of such a living nightmare without end.

It was only the other day, that I discovered the fact that Pandora’s Box not only contained evil but, at the bottom, there lay hope.

My Pandora’s Box is now 4 lever-arch files, over 100 Mbytes of computer files (video / audio recordings, pictures and other assorted documents) and drawers full of newspapers and correspondence.

The thought now occurs to me that, like Pandora, I will find hope only through opening my box and unleashing the evils that lie within.

In my possession, I have recordings of conversations by my head teacher, HR managers, other teachers and even my own arrest interview plus transcripts, letters and other documents. None of this evidence could have been used in my defence during my hearing stages. It would not only have been deemed to have been inadmissible, such covert behaviour would have been damaging to any chance of winning my appeal. (Today, it no longer matters.)

I want the world to know that I am innocent. Over the coming weeks, it is my intent to open my Pandora's Box and to return the contents of such evil wickedness to those whose actions have resulted in so much misery. And just maybe, I will find hope once more in my life !

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After Pandora opened her box, she did not suffer any consequences of her action and later had a daughter named Pyrrha who married Deucalion the son of Prometheus.

Just after they were married Zeus sent the Great Deluge which wiped out the whole of mankind. Only Deucalion and Pyrrha survived, floating to the safety of Mount Parnassus in a chest.