15 Students Given Suspension After Protesting Harassment of Teacher

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15 students of a high school in İstanbul has been given five-day suspension after protesting a teacher who is accused of sexually harassing a student.

Former MP for Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and journalist Barış Yarkadaş announced the suspensions on Twitter. "With this attitude, the board of the school says, 'Even if you are being harassed, stay silent' to the students. Those who don't is being punished", he said.

After a former student of the school named Eylül talked to bianet about the harassment of the teacher S.D. and the news was published on bianet, the students of the school launched a campaign on social media and boycotted their classes for a day in demand of dismissal of S.D.

CLICK - High School Students Boycott Classes in Protest Against Harassment

Geography teacher S.D., who is sued for harassment, was appointed to another school after the incident. An official from Ministry of Education told bianet that "his complete discharge is out of question."

Yarkadaş also shared a document of suspension issued by school board on Twitter, which states that the students were given penalty because of "holding a gathering, event or demonstration without permission". "This is the document of the scandal", Yarkadaş commented. (EÜ/HK/VK)