Kolkata Court Stays Suspension Of School Teacher Ousted For "Angry-Reacting" To Facebook Post About School's Activities

A court in Kolkata has stayed the suspension of a school teacher from La Martiniere for Boys who was suspended for indulging in alleged anti-management activities, which included "angry reacting" to a Facebook post regarding the school's activities.

In staying the teachers suspension in an application under Order XXXIX Rule 1 & 2 read with Section 151 of Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 the City Civil Court at Calcutta stated:

"That the petitioner's prayer for ad-interim injunction is hereby considered and allowed, restraining the Opposite Parties from giving effect to the suspension notice dated 08.11.2024, and from preventing the petitioner from performing her duties in the school by way of teaching classes, co-circular activities and other duties which the petitioner was performing in the regular course of her employment prior to the issuance of the said suspension notice dated till 19.12.2024."

Teacher Sushmita Chakraborty, who had been serving in the school for almost three decades was summarily suspended by notice, by the school administration, for alleged anti-management activities for interacting with a Facebook post on the school's alumni group, criticising the school administration for adding marble slabs to the concrete steps on one of the school's buildings which is a Grade-I heritage structure according to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

The modifications to the heritage building were later stayed by the KMC which issued a 'stop work' notice to the school which had "added unnecessary load" to the almost 200 year old heritage building.

According to the school, the modifications were undertaken to ensure the safety of the school's students.