Schoolteacher Suspended For Being Offensive Towards Dalit Student, Parents In Odisha’s Boudh

Boudh: A teacher of a government school in Kantamal Block of Odisha’s Boudh district has been suspended for allegedly showing objectionable behaviour towards a Dalit student and parents.

As per reports, the District Education Officer (DEO) of Boudh placed the teacher under suspension on Monday after a probe was conducted into allegations in this regard. Based on the probe report, the DEO took the action against the teacher.

Sources said Anusuya Devi, Sanskrit teacher of Sadar High School at Jogindrapur Panchayat in Kantamal area, threw food cooked for a feast on the occasion of Saraswati Puja on February 14 as a Dalit student had reportedly touched the food containers.

The action of the teacher had triggered annoyance among students as well as teachers at the school. Opposing such behaviour by the teacher, parents of the students lodged a complaint. When the headmaster of the school intervened to find a solution, the accused teacher misbehaved with the guardian.

Thereafter, the father of the student brought the matter to the notice of the Ambedkar Dalit Samaj Vikas Parishad – a Dalit association – and with its support, he approached the police seeking justice.

The District Pana-Ganda Vikas Parishad Secretary Sudhansu Danga also drew the attention of the DEO to the incident.

DEO Gendera Kujur directed the Additional DEO Ghanashyam Meher and Kantamal Block Education Officer (BEO) Sanoj Sethy to conduct an impartial investigation into the incident.
Based on the investigation report by the officials, the DEO took action against the teacher for her act, sources said.