2,200 Gwangju Teachers Urge Strong Action Against Malicious Complaints

In Gwangju, 2,200 teachers participated in a petition demanding that the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education take a strong stance to protect teachers from malicious complaints.

On the 26th, representatives of the Gwangju branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union and affected teachers handed over a petition urging Superintendent Lee Jungseon to take a firm stance against malicious complaints. Provided by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union Gwangju Branch

The Gwangju branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union announced on the 30th that, together with affected teachers, they recently visited the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education and delivered a petition urging a tough response to malicious complaints. The Gwangju Teachers’ Association and the Gwangju Practical Teachers’ Association also supported this petition drive. The Gwangju branch of the union emphasized, “Malicious complaints are not just a personal issue for teachers, but a problem for the entire educational community,” and called for strong measures such as the superintendent filing criminal charges directly.

The affected teachers stated that they have suffered severe distress due to indiscriminate child abuse reports and prolonged legal disputes. One teacher said, “Although I received a notice of no charges, I cannot express the frustration of being helpless for over a year. Malicious complaints undermine teachers’ motivation to educate and even infringe upon students’ right to learn.”

However, the Office of Education responded that it is “reviewing the legal aspects” and maintained a general position that it would decide whether to file charges after reviewing the results of the Teachers’ Rights Protection Committee meeting scheduled for October 1. In response, the Gwangju branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union criticized the Office of Education, stating, “Despite growing voices from the field, the response remains perfunctory,” and urged Superintendent Lee Jungseon to respond to the appeals of 2,200 teachers with decisive action.