Nicolas’ suicide, sending of threatening letters… What we know about the audit of the Versailles rectorate

For eight days now, the rectorate of Versailles is heavily criticized. In question, the revelation of threatening letters sent to the largest French academy to several dozen parents in difficulty, who denounced the harassment suffered by their children. The Minister of National Education Gabriele Attal announced to launch a audit on the management of harassment cases from September 2022 to September 2023. Let’s take stock of this controversy that worries many parents.

At the origin of the controversy, Nicolas’ suicide

The first concerns date back to the beginning of September. Victim of school bullying, Nicolas, 15 years old, suicide Tuesday 5 September at his home in Poissy, Yvelines, the day he returned to school. He too, like his parents, had reported acts of harassment against him. On Saturday 16 September, BFMTV revealed the contents of the letters exchanged between the parents of the young Nicolas and the rectorate.

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If the parents had first alerted the high school faculty and principal to the harassment of their son, the dean sent them a scathing letter. Report an attitude “ unacceptable » the parents of young Nicolas push them “From now on, adopt a constructive and respectful attitude towards members of the educational community », while recalling the legal sanctions in case of abusive complaints.

The father of a student who was the victim of sexual abuse also received a threatening letter

This is the message it even aroused government indignation, is only the first of a long series revealed. Friday 22 September, BFMTV reveals that another parent received a similar letter, after having reported it in a letter sent to the rector’s office” failure to take into account the very serious situation encountered » by his son, victim of sexual contact by an educator at his school.

The father received a response in early May from the rector’s office. And the tone of the letter is anything but pleasant. It can be read: “ Furthermore, in the interest of your child and out of concern for setting an example for them, I urge you to now adopt a constructive and respectful attitude towards other members of the education community and, more generally, to all National Education staff who work to care for your daughter and to act in the best possible way towards her . “. According to the father, this paragraph, as well as more than half of the letter, would be identical to the one sent to Nicolas’ parents.

Already 55 letters “seem to raise questions”

After the revelation of this new letter, Gabriel Attal decided to go this Monday, September 25, to the rectorate of Versailles, and carry out an audit. And the first inventory carried out within the rectorate is mind-boggling. During the 2022-2023 school year, out of 120 “letters of disapproval” sent, 55 “seems to raise questions”.

Beyond the publicized cases, every family receives such a letter from the rectorate of Versailles “they will be contacted individually for an exchange with the agents”, declared the minister. Moreover, all rectories have been the subject of an inspection for several days, which should make it possible to discover inadequate reactions on the part of the institution. Conclusions are expected by mid-October.

The rector apologised

For his part, in an interview with Parisian published on Saturday 23 September, the former rector of Versailles, Charline Avenelshe apologized to Nicolas’ parents for this letter which she considers “inadmissible “. She assures that she has “ It is not aware “.

“I discover that these letters of disapproval have been sent, I fear in large numbers, indiscriminately, to families in difficulty”he complains.