School Principal who Cursed and Scratched Student Fired

Susanna Nazaryan, principal of no. 2 high school in Etchmiadzin, was released from her duties on Apr. 30, according to a decree by the RA Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan, who also issued a strict reprimand.

Recall, as previously reported by local daily 168 Zham (“168 Hours”), in Dec. 2010, A. Harutyunyan, a former grade 10 student at the school was harassed by Nazaryan’s son and his friends and on Jan. 31, 2011, was subject to a beating by them. The next day, Nazaryan cursed, hit and scratched Harutyunyan in front of all the other students, then forced him to go to another school. Nazaryan also reprimanded Harutyunyan’s grandmother, B. Yeghiazaryan, who is a history teacher at the school, during a board meeting.

Earlier, Armenia’s education minister told journalists that the principal keeping her position had nothing to do with the fact that she is a member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia.

“Whether she will be made redundant depends on two factors: the course of the criminal case and our final position: if there is an atmosphere of trust after all this,” Ashotyan had said.