“The judge puts a target on teachers”

The author of death threats against the principal of the Maurice Ravel high school, who had an altercation with a student asking him to remove his veil, was sentenced to a simple fine and to complete a citizenship course.

It is a court decision that calls into question. The author of death threats against the principal of the Maurice Ravel high school in Paris was sentenced to a fine of 600 euros and a citizenship course. On February 28, 2024, the principal had an altercation with an adult student whom he asked to remove her veil within the school grounds. After this episode, he was the victim of a wave of harassment on social networks. The accused even wrote on Twitter: “This dog must be burned alive.”

For these comments, he was sentenced to a fine of 600 euros, as well as to complete a five-day citizenship course and to pay 3,000 euros in damages to the high school principal.

A decision deemed far too lenient this Tuesday on the plateau of Big Mouths. This is particularly what the two GG professors, Barbara Lefebvre and Jean-Loup Bonnamy, deplore together: “The judges are inconsistent people,” she says. “They continue to put a target on the backs of teachers and school leaders. It’s yet another target on the backs of teachers, CPEs, principals who do nothing other than respect the law. Some students , parents and social media activists are rubbing their hands.”

“It’s a fine, I risk more by running a red light. He writes a letter apologizing and it goes well,” continues the history and geography teacher.

“It’s terrible”

“The principal only applied the law on religious symbols,” recalls Jean-Loup Bonnamy. “This Internet user, if he does not want to accept the rules of a country, the door is wide open, he can go elsewhere,” he invites on RMC and RMC Story.

“This sanction is appalling,” says Bruno Poncet in despair. “We say to ourselves that Samuel Paty and Dominique Bernard died for nothing because no one understands the lessons,” adds the railway worker and trade unionist, who calls for “heavy sentences and prison so that people understand”, while the prosecution had initially requested a suspended prison sentence.

Two other trials

After these incidents, the principal of the establishment had anticipated his retirement by a few months. Rarely, this court decision provoked a reaction on Tuesday from the Minister of National Education Anne Genetet, who denounced “a blow against National Education”. The Paris prosecutor's office has 10 days to appeal.

In mid-March, another man arrested as part of this investigation was released in Lisieux (Calvados), but the prosecution appealed. In November, the public prosecutor requested a ten-month suspended prison sentence for a third man tried in Bourg-en-Bresse (Ain). In this last case, the deliberation is expected on November 28.