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Philippine Jesuit university goes after abusive parent

Ateneo de Davao president calls grave threat against lecturer 'reprehensible'
Philippine Jesuit university goes after abusive parent

The front of Jesuit-run Ateneo de Davao University in the Philippines. (Photo from Wikimedia)

Published: March 22, 2018 07:34 AM GMT
Updated: March 22, 2018 07:39 AM GMT

The Jesuit-run Ateneo de Davao University in the Philippines is to file charges against a parent who reportedly threatened one of its professors.

The parent was reportedly angry after his child received a low grade from the teacher.

A statement released on March 22 and signed by university president, Jesuit priest Joel Tabora, condemned the parent's alleged threat, calling it "reprehensible."

The priest said the university and its affected staff would take "necessary steps ... to ensure that complaints will be filed."

The university did not name the parent who was only described as a "public official and lawyer."

Witnesses said "bodyguards" who stood behind the lecturer during the confrontation accompanied the parent. One of the bodyguards reportedly held a bag that appeared to contain a gun.

Father Tabora, however, clarified that there "was no gun immediately involved in this incident."

In the statement Tabora said that even if the parent did not use a gun to threaten the professor, the parent "clearly intended to intimidate."

"The incident, however, was nonetheless reprehensible insofar as statements were made that were clearly intended to intimidate and where no actual gun at hand was necessary to be intimidating," said the priest. 

"The [Ateneo] is a safe zone not only for its students, but also for its teachers who ought to be able to teach and give out grades accordingly, free from intimidation and threats from parents or any related persons or personalities," read the school's statement.

It added that parental bullying based on public office or on one's legal profession "has no place at [Ateneo] nor in any school, public or private, in the Philippines."

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