The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently directed the school education department to expedite the disciplinary proceedings initiated against an aided school teacher in Madurai, for slapping a Class XI student with footwear in June last year, and conclude it, preferably within a month.
Justice B Pugalendhi further directed the authorities to consider the teacher's request for migrating to another aided school 'favourably', depending on the availability of a willing recipient school and the closure of the disciplinary proceedings without any major penalty, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
The judge opined that such migration, though sought by the teacher himself, would have the effect of removing him from the current institution and therefore would be enough to address the institution's concerns about its image.
Till the above process is completed, the teacher's suspension order will remain in force, he added.
The directions were issued on a petition filed by a PG Assistant (English) K Ramesh, challenging his suspension order and the rejection of his application seeking to migrate to another school. Ramesh stated in his petition that he had slapped the student only due to sudden provocation and that the student and his parents withdrew their complaint based on his apology. He has also rendered an unblemished service for nearly 22 years and has been appreciated by the authorities on several occasions, he added and sought the above direction.
Hearing the plea, Justice Pugaledhi observed that while the act of physical misconduct is unacceptable, a lenient and balanced view is warranted in light of the teacher's otherwise clean and commendable service record; his willingness to take responsibility for the incident, and the fact that he himself has requested to be transferred. He disposed of the petition with the above directions, according to The New Indian Express report.
