Director Threatened Over Male Teacher Rejection Sparks Strike in Rennes Nursery School

On October 10, a confrontation at Clôteaux nursery school in southern Rennes escalated when a father demanded his daughter not be supervised by a male teacher. The school director upheld the rules and refused to transfer the student, citing school policy and Republican values. Following this, the director faced severe death threats and sexist remarks from the father, leading to the director taking sick leave and filing a complaint. The Rennes rectorate summoned the family, who admitted to making threatening comments, but the school team expressed that trust was broken and requested the student transfer.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray supported the director, emphasizing schools are not venues for individual demands. Fabrice Lerestif, general secretary of Force ouvrière Ille-et-Vilaine, noted the father's objections were personal, not religious. The situation has triggered a strike among Clôteaux’s kindergarten staff starting November 19 to support the director, demand better protection for staff, and raise awareness at higher levels. Other regional schools are expected to join the strike.

According to additional reports, the director has been on sick leave for over a month due to the incident, underscoring the serious impact of the threats. This case highlights increasing tensions and challenges in French schools regarding staff safety and parental demands.