The police have started investigations into possible crimes with a right-wing extremist background at a school in the Spree-Neisse district. Teachers had sent a letter to the public. “We are addressing the public because we are confronted with right-wing extremism, sexism and homophobia in our everyday work as school staff at a school in the Spree-Neisse district and no longer want to keep our mouths shut,” the letter says.
The police have the letter. “The criminal police are investigating potentially criminally relevant facts,” said police spokesman Maik Kettlitz of the German Press Agency on Tuesday.
Teachers draw a bleak picture of what is happening
In the “Brandbrief”, the teachers, who did not sign the letter by name, paint a bleak picture of what is happening at their school. The teachers cite the anti-constitutional distribution of right-wing extremist symbols, writings, music titles and violence at school as examples. School furniture is smeared with swastikas, right-wing extremist music is heard in class, and anti-democratic slogans are shouted in the school corridors.
“Teachers and students who act openly against right-wing schools and families fear for their safety,” it continues. The few foreign and tolerant students experienced exclusion, bullying and threats of violence. There is a feeling of powerlessness and forced silence.
Ministry of Education in contact with the school administration
The designated Brandenburg Minister of Education, State Secretary Steffen Freiberg, said at a press conference on Tuesday that they were in contact with the school management and were trying to clarify what had happened. He called the reports shocking.
The teachers are calling on politicians to hire more social workers in the schools, to promote more pro-democracy projects, to enable lower-threshold training opportunities for teachers and to show a zero-tolerance policy towards right-wing extremism, homophobia and sexism. (dpa)
