the revelation of a threatening letter from the rectorate reveals the “failings” of national education

2023-09-17 15:22:52
The Minister of National Education, Gabriel Attal, accompanied by Brigitte Macron, the deputy (Renaissance) Karl Olive and the mayor of Poissy (Yvelines), leave the town hall of the city after meeting the family of Nicolas, a high school student who committed suicide a few days earlier, on September 7, 2023. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP

“This letter is a shame.” This is how Gabriel Attal reacted, Saturday September 16, during a press point organized immediately revelations from BFM-TV, which broadcast on the air a letter sent by the rectorate of Versailles to Nicolas’s parents. The 15-year-old high school student, victim of school bullying, committed suicide on September 5 in Poissy (Yvelines).

In this letter sent on May 4, 2023 by the “Versailles pole” from the interacademic legal affairs service to Nicolas’s parents, the administration is surprised by the tone used by the family, regarding the “supposed harassment” suffered by their son, with regard to the principal of the Adrienne-Bolland high school in Poissy, where he was enrolled in third professional preparation.

“The comments you made and the behavior you showed towards national education personnel, whose professionalism and integrity should not have been called into question in this way, are unacceptable. I condemn them in the strongest possible terms.” can we read there. The rectorate then reminds Nicolas’s parents of article 226-10 of the penal code, which condemns slanderous denunciation and provides, for this offense, a penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros. Contacted by The worldthe Versailles rectorate did not wish to react.

Administrative and judicial investigations

“Put yourself in the place of Nicolas’s parents who wrote to the institution – whose absolute role is to protect students – to inform them of the distress experienced by their child, and who received this type of response! “, Mr. Attal was indignant on Saturday in front of journalists. The Minister of National Education recalled that he had launched, “the day after the tragedy”, an administrative investigation in addition to the judicial investigation opened by the Versailles public prosecutor’s office to investigate the causes of death. He made it clear that he would take “all conclusions, including regarding sanctions”. The minister also indicated that he would bring together ” starting Monday “ rectors, to launch an audit in all rectorates on all harassment situations reported in 2022.

Also read the decryption: Article reserved for our subscribers School harassment: toughening of the sanctions regime, particularly in primary school

The letter from the rectorate referred to another letter dated mid-April, also revealed by BFM-TV, in which Nicolas’ parents expressed concern to the high school principal about not seeing their son’s situation evolve, after a first meeting with the management of the establishment in mid-March. They criticized the principal for having received them badly, and for having informed them that they did not have tangible proof of the harassment suffered by their son. “It is incomprehensible that you can allow a teenager to suffer such verbal and psychological violence in your establishment without reacting in any way”they wrote. “So we are going to file a complaint and consider you responsible if a disaster were to happen to our son. » A handrail was left at the Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (Yvelines) police station on May 4, according to The Parisian.

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