– The Canton prohibits teacher-student sexual relations
State Councilor Frédéric Borloz promulgates a directive which clarifies the vagueness existing in Vaud law.
Published today at 10:26 a.m.
The Vaudois Minister of Training, Frédéric Borloz, explains in a directive the ban on intimate teacher-student relationships.
Chantal Dervey
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The Canton of Vaud has decided to explicitly prohibit sexual relations between teachers and students. This is what emerges from directive 194 of the Department of Education, adopted on June 24 and published on the State website. It will come into force on July 1.
This question has taken a political turn in French-speaking Switzerland, after the highly publicized dismissal of a teacher from La Chaux-de-Fonds. He had admitted to having maintained, over the last twenty years, intimate relationships with several of his students, who were between 17 and 21 years old at the time of the facts.
In the canton of Vaud, Green Yannick Maury tabled a motion in the Grand Council, supported by all parties, to ask for clarification of cantonal law. This is limited to fairly general considerations on the behavior to be respected by teachers. Opening the door to legal battles in the event of a dispute between the State and its employee.
“In any relationship with students, members of the teaching staff must adopt appropriate behavior. […] Teaching staff in compulsory and post-compulsory education are prohibited from having intimate relationships or engaging in acts of a sexual nature with students, even if they consent or the initiative is theirs or appears to be theirs. return to them”, thus mentions the directive.
Warning or dismissal
The text distinguishes between minor and adult students. Regarding the former, the ban applies even if the teacher does not attend the same school. On the other hand, intimate relations between a professor and an adult student are only prohibited if they attend the same training establishment.
“Behavior which contravenes this ban will lead, depending on its seriousness and in compliance with the constitutional principle of proportionality, to a warning or to the termination of the teacher’s employment contract, if necessary immediately. for good reason, it is written. Such behavior could also be criminally relevant.”
Yannick Maury declares himself “very satisfied” to see this directive 194 promulgated. “It responds to the incomplete situation. This also confirms that the vagueness that reigned before was not beneficial to anyone and that the law was not very clear.” His motion has not yet been formally adopted by the plenum; it was submitted for study by a commission.
“Vaud policy”
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