“At first I was in denial.” Philippe Le Guillou is the former principal of the Maurice-Ravel high school of the XXe district of Paris. In February, after asking a student to remove her veil, he was the target of threats and intimidation. On March 27, the rectorate announced his resignation.
In an interview given to our colleagues at Figaro, published Wednesday November 27, 2024, it returns to this case, which recalls that of the assassination of Samuel Paty, college professor murdered by a radical Islamist in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (Yvelines) on October 16, 2020 and whose trial is taking place Right now.
“He was found guilty, it’s important”
“Both on social networks and in real life, the students went very far in insults and threats. I didn't look at the internet because it's not at all in my culture, but my friends and family alerted me to everything that was circulating there. They were much more worried than I was myself,” testifies Philippe Le Guillou, who reveals that he was encouraged to resign by the rectorate: “It was a request from the rectorate. He didn't explicitly tell me that I was in danger but wanted to ensure zero risk. In my opinion, this recommendation had more to do with the death of Dominique Bernard [professeur de lettres assassiné le 13 octobre 2023 à Arras (Pas-de-Calais)] than with the real danger of my situation. »
Ibni-Akram Assoumani, who called on social networks to “burn alive” the principal of the high school, was sentenced on Monday November 18 by the Paris criminal court to a fine of €600, a citizenship training period and to pay €3,000 in damages to Philippe Le Guillou. The sentence was considered light by some, the principal puts it into perspective with our colleagues at Figaro : “He was found guilty, it’s important […] but I understood that this sentence was weak and that it sent a negative message to National Education staff. »
“Teachers and principals must be supported”
Faced with this type of situation, he calls on teachers, supervisors and principals to “above all, don’t give up. But to get there, teachers and principals must be supported, whatever the subject, by their hierarchy. »
For the future, the former principal wishes “still maintain a certain form of anonymity. I even gave up on a book project because the publishing house insisted that I show my face on the cover. This is all heavy. I don’t fear a fatwa but I fear running into a crazy person who recognizes me by chance.”
