San Benjamín de Los Hornos School suspended classes this Thursday, so that its teachers can mobilize before the Criminal Court, where the Chamber of Cassation will review the sentence for sexual abuse that Lucas Manuel Puig received, who worked as the institution’s music teacher at the time of being denounced. The measure, which was communicated via WhatsApp with little notice, caused disagreement among the parents of the students.
“Dear Families. Tomorrow, May 4, the teaching staff joins in support of music teacher Lucas Puig, so there will be no staff to guarantee the school day. Best regards”says the message sent to the parents’ WhatsApp group, signed by the management team.
Sabrina, the mother of a child who attends school, expressed her anger with the measure, in dialogue with TN.com.ar: “I am outraged that my son misses a day of school. Justice determined that he be sentenced and teachers have to fulfill their obligation, which is to go to work”, sentenced. She also assured that dozens of parents agree with her.
The discomfort is due to the fact that it is not the first time that the Colegio San Benjamín adopts a measure of this type. During the second oral trial and after the sentence was known, in August 2022, there was more than one strike and mobilization. These measures were criticized by mothers and fathers of students and also by another sector of teaching.
It should be remembered that the teacher went through a first trial in which he was acquitted by majority, but Cassation issued an annulment and ordered a new debate. In that second process, the judges found him guilty of “sexual abuse with seriously insulting carnal access, aggravated by being in charge of his education in an ideal contest with corruption of minors aggravated by being in charge of his education” in two cases.
Faced with the sentence, Puig’s defense appealed the measure and that is why the Chamber of Cassation will review it this Thursday.
