A teacher was fired in Lviv after she called a student “stupid” because his military father was not involved in his upbringing.

Children of military personnel often live in tension that is difficult to explain to those who see their parents at home every day, hear their usual advice, and have adult support nearby. For children of defenders, the service of a loved one means long waiting, short phone conversations, constant anxiety for the life of a father or mother, and painful absence in the most ordinary moments of childhood.

However, in society, this experience is not always met with understanding and sympathy, although a child of a military member already carries an emotional burden that should not become a reason for humiliation. When offensive words are spoken by a teacher, the situation becomes especially acute, because the school should be a safe space where adults protect the student, take into account his circumstances, and do not turn family pain into a reason for condemnation.

A teacher at Lyceum No. 13 in Lviv was fired after a scandal related to the humiliation of a student whose father serves in the National Guard. According to information from the head of the Department of Education and Culture of the Lviv City Council, Andriy Zakaliuk, the teacher’s last working day was Monday, May 4.

The reason for the personnel decision was an incident that journalist Roman Onyshkevych reported on in April. According to him, the victim was the son of his fellow soldier. The boy’s father, during the celebration of the first bell, asked the teacher of Ukrainian language and literature to be understanding of his service and not to reproach the child for this, since he cannot always be with his son due to military duties.

Later, the man learned that the teacher had repeatedly insulted the student. The episode that caused the greatest resonance was at the end of March, when she called the boy “stupid” and “moron” in front of other students, associating these words with the fact that his father serves in the army and is not involved in upbringing.

After that, the lyceum administration had a conversation with the child, but the parents were not informed about it. This approach became a separate part of the claims, since the situation did not concern an ordinary school conflict, but a possible insult to the student by the teacher and the institution’s reaction to the complaint.

To verify the circumstances, the lyceum created a special commission, which revealed a number of violations in the actions of the teacher and representatives of the administration. As a result of the review, the teacher was fired, and the school employees who were supposed to respond to the situation appropriately received reprimands.

The punishment affected the lyceum administration, a practical psychologist, a class teacher, and a social teacher. According to Andriy Zakaliuk, the disciplinary action was taken due to an inappropriate response and violations during the internal review of the incident.

This story attracted attention due to its particularly sensitive context: a child of a military officer, already experiencing anxiety due to his father’s service, found himself in a situation of public humiliation in the classroom. The decision to dismiss the teacher was the result of an inspection that confirmed problems not only in her behavior, but also in the school’s response to the family’s complaint.