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Vice-principal in a spot over police complaint

ABU DHABI — The vice-principal of a school could land in trouble for filing a police complaint against one of the students of her school.

The management of the Abu Dhabi-based school and the Abu Dhabi Education Zone, in a joint missive sent to the Ministry of Education (MoE), have urged an inquiry against the vice-principal (VP), for going to the police with her complaint, instead of the education zone. Khaleej Times is in possession of a copy of the letter.

On March 28 last, a Grade X girl of the school had allegedly abused and assaulted the VP, M.A., on the school campus. The VP had asked the girl who was loitering around in the school premises, to go back to her classroom. This apparently enraged the girl, leading to the ugly spat in the presence of some students and teachers. The VP is also reported to have suffered some bruises in the assault.

A Committee, set up by the school to probe the incident, later found the girl guilty of misbehaving with the VP and ordered her to shift to some other school as a disciplinary action.

However, the VP also lodged a complaint with the police and went to a hospital to get her medical check up done to substantiate the assault charges.

The VP told Khaleej Times that the family members of the student had been pressurising her to withdraw the police case. She said she was shocked to see the girl continuing to attend the school even after the expulsion order.

She said she had notified the school management as well as the education zone about the circumstances of the incident.

She added that she had not received any official notice on the inquiry to be set up against her so far.

The Committee set up by the school had found the girl lacking in discipline. She was found to be frequently disobeying the teachers and using vulgar language in the school.

When contacted, a source at the Legal Affairs Section at the MoE said, “On the legal grounds, the VP cannot be declared guilty for reporting the matter to the police as this is her legal right. She is also entitled to report the matter to the education zone, where she can furnish the medical reports to support her complaint.”

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