Investigation opened after homophobic insults and threats against a school principal in Cantal

Faced with such an outpouring of hatred spanning several months, investigations are continuing and have been entrusted to the gendarmerie, the Aurillac public prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.

Teacher violently attacked because she is a lesbian. An investigation has been opened for “public insult committed because of sexual orientation” And “death threat made because of sexual orientation”announced the Aurillac public prosecutor’s office, contacted by franceinfo on Tuesday July 23. CAroline, director of a primary school in Moussages, in Cantalhas been the repeated target since December 2023. Among the insults and threats received: “Get out of here, dyke”, “go die, you dirty dyke”, “dyke = pedophile”.. When contacted, the teacher did not respond to requests from franceinfo.

The first lesbophobic attacks against the teacher of the school’s only class were discovered on a board under the school’s covered playground, reports Thierry Pajot, general secretary of the school principals’ union, based on the victim’s account. After a second similar episode, the violence intensified in March, when an anonymous letter arrived in the school’s mailbox reading: “Go die, you dirty dyke.”

Faced with such an outpouring of hatred, several complaints have been filed and the The rector of the Clermont-Ferrand academy, Karim Benmiloud, has sent a report to the public prosecutor. Functional protection, a system intended to protect public officials, was set up around Caroline. However, in June, a tag “get out of here dyke” is written on a wall at the back of the school. The investigationsstill in progress and entrusted to the gendarmerie, should make it possible to identify “the perpetrator(s) of the acts”, continues the prosecution.

These homophobic acts are not unique to the village. Contacted by franceinfo, the mayor of Moussages, Christian Vert, recounts the discovery of tags on four vehicles in May; two from the town hall and two private vehicles, one of which was “identical” to that of the city councilor, he reports. Unlike “to the accusations that we see on social networks which do not please”, Christian Vert affirms “having done what was necessary” to help Caroline during these weeks of anguish. “We supported her”he insists, without commenting on the matter further.

It must be said that the situation is tense in this small village of nearly 300 souls. A few days ago, Caroline, who had been working in Moussages since 2021, learned of her transfer at the start of the school year in September. “A double sanction” for the latter, who in addition to suffering homophobia, “sees “moved” with an assignment “three times further” than his previous commute, assures Thierry Pajot, from the school principals’ union, who largely participated in the media coverage of the affair.

“It was a protective measure, not a punishment at all,” the Clermont-Ferrand rectorate defended itself on Tuesday to franceinfo. The institution assures that the temporary transfer had been decided “from a common agreement” between the occupational physician and Caroline, “for his health” And “as long as the threat persists.”

“This situation seemed to have been accepted, but was finally denounced in a letter from Caroline sent on July 18″continues the rectorate which says “take note of it”. “A meeting will be offered to her to let her know that we will let her decide [de son affectation à la rentrée]“, announces the rectorate, in a sudden reversal.

Returning to her post in September, or assigned to another establishment, Caroline, who was isolated for a while, will be able to count on the support of the educational community. In a long text published on Facebook on Sunday, a colleague from another establishment, Alice Versal (author’s name), denounced the fate reserved for her by the National Education.

“Because in the mountains, in the offices, we don’t like waves, Caro will have to sail far from her school.”

Excerpt from Alice Versal’s support text

on Facebook

A message that had accumulated more than 600 shares on Wednesday morning. “She had been fighting alone for weeks. With this text, she now feels like there is an army behind her,” she said. rejoices its author.