Russian court rejects complaint from gay teacher fired for ‘immoral’ behaviour
School says teacher dismissed because of photographs that
‘propagandise non-traditional sexual relations’ after anti-gay activist
makes them public
A St Petersburg district court has rejected a complaint from a gay teacher who was sacked for “immoral” behaviour.
In court, the defence team for school 565 said the teacher had been dismissed in December after a group of parents complained about her conduct.
The school said another reason for the dismissal of the teacher, who was not named, had been photographs of her that “propagandise non-traditional sexual relations”, including one that shows her kissing another woman. According to an analysis by a divinity professor and an education specialist known for designing courses on “traditional morality”, the photographs showed an “immoral transgression incompatible with conducting educational functions”.
“During the court case, it was said several times that the photographs shown to the court … demonstrate that the teacher is a lesbian,” LGBT support group Vykhod said in a statement. “In this case, it should be admitted that the fact she was gay was the reason for her dismissal, which is direct discrimination.”
According to the school, the photographs had been posted online, but Vykhod said they had not been publicly accessible. The pictures reportedly only came to light after Timur Isayev, an anti-gay activist from St Petersburg, posted them to his social media account in December along with the teacher’s name and place of work.
The “opinion of the patriots of Russia” was that “it’s a crime to let such teachers work with children,” Isayev wrote at the time. He has since been arrested and is serving a sentence for embezzlement, Fontanka.ru reported.
The teacher will appeal against the court’s decision, Vykhod said.
Human rights groups have blamed a 2013 Russian law against “gay propaganda” for increasing homophobia. LGBT activists have been detained by police, pelted with eggs and beaten at rallies, and the passage of the law was followed by a rise in vigilante violence against gay people.
On 20 April, Yelena Klimova, the founder of an online forum for gay teenagers, posted a collection of hate-filled messages coupled with the profile pictures of the people she said had sent them to her. The smiling social network users told Klimova to “burn in hell” and “get out of our country”, with some adding they would like to choke, shoot or burn her.
In court, the defence team for school 565 said the teacher had been dismissed in December after a group of parents complained about her conduct.
The school said another reason for the dismissal of the teacher, who was not named, had been photographs of her that “propagandise non-traditional sexual relations”, including one that shows her kissing another woman. According to an analysis by a divinity professor and an education specialist known for designing courses on “traditional morality”, the photographs showed an “immoral transgression incompatible with conducting educational functions”.
“During the court case, it was said several times that the photographs shown to the court … demonstrate that the teacher is a lesbian,” LGBT support group Vykhod said in a statement. “In this case, it should be admitted that the fact she was gay was the reason for her dismissal, which is direct discrimination.”
According to the school, the photographs had been posted online, but Vykhod said they had not been publicly accessible. The pictures reportedly only came to light after Timur Isayev, an anti-gay activist from St Petersburg, posted them to his social media account in December along with the teacher’s name and place of work.
The “opinion of the patriots of Russia” was that “it’s a crime to let such teachers work with children,” Isayev wrote at the time. He has since been arrested and is serving a sentence for embezzlement, Fontanka.ru reported.
The teacher will appeal against the court’s decision, Vykhod said.
Human rights groups have blamed a 2013 Russian law against “gay propaganda” for increasing homophobia. LGBT activists have been detained by police, pelted with eggs and beaten at rallies, and the passage of the law was followed by a rise in vigilante violence against gay people.
On 20 April, Yelena Klimova, the founder of an online forum for gay teenagers, posted a collection of hate-filled messages coupled with the profile pictures of the people she said had sent them to her. The smiling social network users told Klimova to “burn in hell” and “get out of our country”, with some adding they would like to choke, shoot or burn her.
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