France hijab row: School head quits over death threats, govt to prosecute teen for false accusations

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said the state will sue a teenage girl who falsely accused her headteacher of using violence during a heated argument over wearing an Islamic head covering. The teacher has now quit following death threats on social media.

The headteacher had asked the girl to remove the head covering inside the school premises, as per French law.

After the killing of two teachers in the past years, any kind of Islamist threats sent to French schools is considered extremely serious in the country.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

In 2020, Samuel Paty was decapitated in Paris and five months ago, Dominique Bernard was murdered inside his school.

The headteacher, whose identity has not been revealed to the public, sent a resignation email to his colleagues at the Maurice Ravel Lycee in Paris on Friday (Mar 22).

Also Read:France launches several anti-drug raids across country in major crackdown ahead of elections

"I have finally taken the decision to quit my functions," the teacher said, adding, "out of concern for my own safety and that of the establishment."

"I leave after seven years, rich and intense, spent at your side, and after 45 years in public education," he added.

The teacher also thanked his colleagues for extending their support to him in the past three weeks.

How the row over Islamic veil started in school

The incident occurred on February 28 when the teacher asked three female pupils to follow French law and remove their head scarves inside the school premises.

The two students followed the rule, but the third one did not obey, which led to an altercation.

In subsequent days,the head teacher received death threats on social media platforms, which were sent by the school to an interior ministry hotline.

As per prosecutors, two people were detained after the death threats were investigated.

The identities of the detainees were not revealed, but the education ministry said they had no connection with the school.

Police officials also patrolled around the school premises and Education Minister Nicole Belloubet also paid a visit.

No evidence was found by the officers which proved that the girl was hit by the headteacher and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal also stepped into the issue and said that she would be sued for making false allegations.

Watch:Brazil, France launch $1.1 billion programme to protect Amazon

"The state... will always stand with these officials, those who are on the frontline faced with these breaches of secularism, these attempts of Islamist entryism in our education establishments," Attal said.

Meanwhile, the politicians also expressed their anger at the hate campaign on the Internet against the teacher.

Taking to X, Marine Le Pen of the hard-right National Rally said, "This government is incapable of protecting our schools."

"It is defeat for the state… and the gangrene of Islamism gains yet more ground," her niece Marion Maréchal of the rival hard-right party Reconquest said.

"This is where you end up when your policy is 'don't make waves'. This is where all those little surrenders lead to," stated Bruno Retailleau of the centre-right Republicans.

(With inputs from agencies)