Verbal violence and threats against the principal of the "Galim" school in Kiryat Yam - classes will begin tomorrow with a delay

(Haipo) – The Teachers' Union announced that classes at the "Galim" school in Kiryat Yam will begin tomorrow (Tuesday, 2/6/26) at 10:00, after a student's father arrived at the school without coordination, stormed out at the principal and, according to her, threatened her life. The union representative will hold an information meeting with the educational staff between 8:00 and 10:00.

Teachers' Union: "Father burst into school and threatened the principal's life"

According to the Teachers' Union, the father arrived at the school without arranging a meeting in advance. Despite this, the teacher and the school counselor provided him with a response, but he was not satisfied with that and demanded to speak with the school principal as well.

The principal was busy handling other events at the time, but the father refused to accept this, stormed out at her, and threatened her life.

The Histadrut describes the incident as a serious sequence of inappropriate behaviors: arriving without coordination, demanding an immediate response that was not in accordance with work arrangements, ignoring the boundaries of discourse with the educational staff, and escalating to a serious threat. Given the seriousness of the incident, the principal filed a complaint with the police.

Teachers' Union: "A clear red line has been crossed"

The chairman of the Teachers' Union, Michael Pinto, condemned the event and said:
"It would be unthinkable for a parent to come to a school and demand to impose his will on the educational staff while blatantly violating the procedures, work orders, and professional authority in place. An educational institution cannot operate under threats and forceful demands."

Pinto added that "when a parent refuses to respect the boundaries of discourse, he directly violates educational authority, trampling on the personal and professional dignity of teaching staff," and emphasized that the Teachers' Union will continue to stand by the team, provide it with full support, and demand immediate treatment, clear boundaries, and a safe and respectful work environment.

Deputy Secretary-General Edna David: "The harm is not just to one administrator"

Deputy Secretary General of the Teachers' Union and Chairwoman of the Haifa and Surrounding Area Branch, Edna David, clarified that "a principal and educational staff are not supposed to deal with a parent who comes demanding an immediate response, refuses to respect the school's work procedures, applies pressure and later threatens the school principal's life."

David emphasized that "the harm here is not just to one principal. It is a harm to the entire team's sense of security, to the professional dignity of the teaching staff, and to the school's ability to maintain boundaries, order, and educational routine. When a discourse with the school becomes a threat, a clear red line has been crossed." According to her, the information meeting was intended to strengthen the educational team and make it clear that female and male teaching staff are not alone.

Widespread phenomenon: conflicts between parents and educational staff

This is not an isolated incident. School staff deal with violence from both students and parents. The guard at the school entrance is supposed to prevent parents from entering during the school day unless an appointment has been made, but in recent months there have been several incidents in which parents have entered schools and caused confrontations between them and teaching staff and teachers.

It is very important to follow the procedures and schedule meetings between parents, administration, and teaching staff in advance so that the conversations are conducted in the best possible spirit in order to promote the interests of the students and maintain the safety and dignity of parents. In order for students to succeed in school and also have an empowering experience, they need to meet teachers who feel valued and supported. There is no doubt that reducing the number of teaching staff and abusing them will not contribute anything to the students and will of course end in harsh measures by the Teachers' Union, the representative organization of teachers, and if necessary, also by the police.