Christian Raimo, a teacher and writer, was suspended from teaching for three months, with a 50% salary cut, after criticizing Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara.

The disciplinary action by the Regional School Office was taken for criticism of the government minister, in a public debate on schools, at the Avs national holiday. Raimo, a candidate with Avs in the last European elections but not elected, had addressed the minister with words such as "charlatan, filthy, repressive and dangerous". "Valditara is a target to be hit like you hit the Death Star from Star Wars", he said again, adding that "we need to hold a demonstration not for schools, but against Valditara". Previously, he had already been the subject of another disciplinary action because during a televised debate, referring to the case of Ilaria Salis, he had said that neo-Nazis "should be beaten".

Students at the Roman high school Archimede, where Raimo teaches, have decided to rally in defense of the professor. A banner was hung at the entrance of the institute saying "three months of suspension for an opinion." Now the students have called a meeting also to talk to the school directors.

Raimo's statements "towards Minister Valditara cannot be considered constructive criticism; on the contrary, they constitute an offense that violates the fundamental principles of mutual respect and civil dialogue". This was stated by Anna Paola Sabatini, General Director of the USR Lazio: "The teacher - she added - had already previously been sanctioned because, during his speech on a television program, he had stated that he was inciting young people to violence". "The offensiveness of the statements takes on a particularly serious character when they are addressed to a representative of the institutions. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that such statements were uttered by a teacher - adds Sabatini -. Teachers play a fundamental role in the education of young generations and should represent an example of ethical and civil behavior for students. Encouraging respect and tolerance is an integral part of their educational mission".

Solidarity with Raimo comes from the spokesperson of Europa Verde and deputy of Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra Angelo Bonelli : «I express full solidarity with Professor Cristian Raimo who today was suspended for 3 months and had his salary cut by 50% by Minister Valditara for having expressed his opinion outside of the scholastic context: yet another act of censorship by those who do not tolerate any form of dissent. What is happening in this country is now unacceptable: we are faced with government officials who feel authorized to say the complete opposite of everything, even allowing insults towards political opponents and journalists, all of this is unacceptable. The climate that is being created in our country poses a serious problem for the quality of our democracy».

(Unioneonline/D)

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