The exchange ended with a text from Mr Rameka reading: "Catch u up then boy U ungrateful bald head [expletive] U must think yur good alright." Mr Whalley took this to mean he had been sacked.
Authority member Robin Arthur found that the contents of the texts sent by Mr Rameka to Mr Whalley on November 8, when read together, amounted to a dismissal. He also noted that one of Mr Whalley's responses had contributed to his dismissal.
"I accept that read in the context of earlier [text] references to whether Mr Whalley's job would be 'ova' [over] or 'history', Mr Whalley reasonably understood the phrase 'catch you up then' to mean Mr Rameka had ended the employment relationship."
The trust said it had not unjustifiably dismissed Mr Whalley and he was sacked after failing to follow instructions and breached his employment obligations, including disobeying instruction to attend training; performing unauthorised work; and failing to supply time sheets.
No one from the trust attended the ERA's investigation meeting.
Expletive-laden texts were short of standards displayed by a reasonable employer, Mr Arthur said.
