14.01.2015
The lawsuit demands to reinstate the teacher at school, to pay the wages lost due to the forced absence, and to compensate her for emotional damages. It claims that the dismissal was unwarranted and illegal, and, being motivated by discrimination, caused the young woman serious anguish. A multitude of honorary diplomas and awards for her achievements in teaching are attached.
On December 8, 2014, a music teacher of the special education school of St. Petersburg No. 565 was fired by the school's director. The cause for the dismissal: information about the private life of the young woman, sent to the director and the district administration, which was collected in the social networks by an individual known under the nickname “Timur Isaev,” who targets teachers that show support for LGBT. After the “dossier” has arrived, the teacher was told that her sexual orientation was incompatible with working in school and was given the choice to quit “voluntarily” or be fired with the corresponding entry in her employment history records.
The young woman refused to quit. The official reason, mentioned in the order of dismissal, is part 8 of the Article 81 of the Labour Code of Russia (“Committing of an immoral act incompatible with the continuation of the job functions by a worker performing educational duties”).
“Under the conditions of the recent years, when homophobic and transphobic groups persecute LGBT teachers, this case is of strategic importance. It is the first known case where an educational worker is officially fired for sexual orientation through the employer's initiative. In other cases LGBT teachers were talked or threatened into quitting “voluntarily,” comments Ksenya Kirichenko, “Coming Out”s lawyer.