A student at Georges Sarraf Secondary School in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, resorted to her Facebook page to complain about what she said was harassment and insults to which she was subjected by the teacher of civics and human values at the school.
Instead of the school opening an investigation into the case, it opened an investigation with her and ordered her dismissal. The school erupted in anger. Students organized a protest in front of the school and stormed the principal’s office, accusing him of colluding with the teacher accused of harassment. They also announced an open strike until the professor was held accountable for the accusations that pursue him.
But the biggest surprise was that the student’s speech prompted many of her other female colleagues to break their silence, accusing the professor of harassing them as well.
Civil society organizations entered the line, and the “Strong Together” campaign, which includes women’s and trade union organizations, called for “the necessary investigations to be carried out to hold the harassed professor and his ilk accountable and punish him.”
In turn, the Bar Association in Tripoli and the north of the country, Marie Fenianos, condemned “incidents of sexual harassment that affected a number of female students.”
On the communication sites, tweeters launched the “We believe the survivors” hashtag, in which they expressed their appreciation for the girls who broke the border barrier and exposed their harasser, according to what they say.
In the face of popular pressure in Lebanon, the Ministry of Education was forced to act, and the school was suspended, and the file was referred to the High Disciplinary Authority, and to the Juvenile Protection Department in the Ministry of Justice, to take the necessary measures against it, according to Lebanese media.
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