COIMBATORE: A day after the parents of a section of students from a corporation school stormed into the collectorate seeking action against a headmistress for allegedly hurling casteist abuse, the erring official was suspended on Tuesday. Sources said that the headmistress of the Corporation Primary School at CP Kandhasamy Nagar in Saravanampatti was suspended after an inquiry by the District Education Department.
District Educational Officer (DEO) of S S Kulam R Geetha issued the suspension order under rule 17 (e) of the Tamil Nadu Civil Services (discipline and appeal) Rules on Tuesday. “Following the complaint, we conducted an inquiry on Monday and found that the headmistress had been discriminating against students based on caste. She was suspended, and the order was handed over to her when she came to school on Tuesday,” said R Geetha. An alternative arrangement for a new principal would be made on Wednesday, she added.
On Monday, the parents had alleged that Jayanthi had abused their children physically and verbally. They claimed that children from the Dalit community were being asked to clean toilets and the school premises.
On June 19, the parents of a Class V girl lodged a complaint with the Saravanampatti police and the Block Education Officer alleging that Jayanthi had abused their ward by using her caste name and caned her for vomiting in the classroom on June 17.
Before filing the complaint, the girl’s parents had picketed the school demanding action against the headmistress. Members of Parents Teachers Association of the school too levelled similar allegations. They added that many parents were reluctant to admitting their wards to the school, fearing corporal punishment.