Teacher Goes to Work Wearing a Stab-Resistant Vest, Wins Lawsuit Over Infringement of Teaching Authority

【Financial News, Jeonju = Kang In, Reporter】 A teacher who went to work wearing a stab-resistant vest after being threatened by a student recently won a lawsuit over infringement of teaching authority.
According to the North Jeolla branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) on the 7th, Teacher A, who was criticized as the “stab-resistant vest teacher,” has effectively prevailed in nearly all civil and criminal proceedings concerning whether her teaching authority was infringed.
Teacher A caused controversy by wearing a stab-resistant vest to work while teaching at a high school in North Jeolla Province, after becoming concerned about threatening remarks made by some students in front of their friends.
After the school determined that the incident constituted an infringement of teaching authority, the student’s side filed an administrative appeal. The teacher then filed civil and criminal lawsuits, leading to a legal battle.
The KTU said that, during the recent civil proceedings, a settlement was reached under which the student’s side apologized to the teacher and paid a modest amount in consolation money.
Earlier, in September last year, the second trial in the administrative lawsuit also ruled that the student’s conduct constituted an infringement of teaching authority.
A KTU official said, “A teacher who suffered an infringement of teaching authority had to endure three years from being reported for child abuse to being cleared of the allegations. In a system that applies vague child-abuse regulations directly to educational activities, teachers cannot escape the risk of being reported and investigated.” The official called for amendments to the relevant laws.


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