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Barred student sues school for a million

Published: 29 May 12 10:54 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/41106/20120529/

A 20-year-old student at prestigious boarding school Sigtuna, the alma mater of King Carl XVI Gustaf, has sued his school for a million kronor ($139,500) after he has been barred from graduation due to suspicions of bullying, according to daily Aftonbladet.

In April, several students at the school were suspended for two weeks after it was revealed that they had allegedly taken an active part in a bullying scandal, which has recently rocked the school.

Three were remanded into custody for aggravated assault at the time.

After being let out of custody the three were allowed to take part in classes but not to board at the school or participate in the upcoming graduation festivities on Friday, according to the paper.

One has therefore decided to sue the school for a million kronor, as he argues that the experience would be once in a lifetime and therefore priceless to him. Also, the student argues, he has already paid for his taking part in the activities.

The principle of “innocent until proven guilty” should apply to Sweden, the student argued. He has contested all allegations against him, reports the paper.

But according to the school, they have followed regulations in order to appease the Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen) and the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket).

“We have followed the agreement,” said the school head, Kent Edberg, to Aftonbladet.

Over half of the school’s student body has signed a petition against the three students being barred from the graduation festivities, reports the paper.

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11:42 May 29, 2012 by me_i_sverige
ok now he is trying to bully the school. good job.
11:48 May 29, 2012 by gpafledthis
He was just "striking a blow" for viking heritage !!
12:51 May 29, 2012 by Abe L
Agree with the student, the "innocent until proven guilty" principle is a very important cornerstone of our society and should, especially by a school, be valued higher.

I also completely disagree that bullying problems are the schools responsibility or should give them the power of barring someone from graduating. He paid his tuition and that alone should give him every right to graduate. The only acceptable reason to disallow him from doing so would be cheating.
13:34 May 29, 2012 by ccnyberg
Being an alumni at the school, I must say that the school handled the situation very poorly. In addition, from what I heard, the situation was a cry wolf one, and that the school jumped to extreme measures, when it could have very easily been handled at a local level. I have also heard that the students were forced to sit in prison with a trial for several weeks without thier school books, and thus missed or were very badly prepared for the final exams.
14:18 May 29, 2012 by engagebrain
13:34 May 29, 2012 by ccnyberg wrote

'Being an alumni ..... I have also heard that the students were forced to sit in prison'

This being Sweden it seems very unlikely that school kids were kept in prison - but you wrote 'I also heard' - so you don't claim to actually know. You also suggest 'the situation was a cry wolf' - meaning not true. Do you have any actual knowledge or are you just smearing the complainants.
15:15 May 29, 2012 by Reason abd Realism
@ Abe L.

You wrote: 'I also completely disagree that bullying problems are the schools responsibility or should give them the power of barring someone from graduating.'

This is a boarding school, where students must stay overnight, and so a bullied student cannot easily escape a tormenting or physically abusive group. Why shouldn't the school be allowed to enforce the threat of expulsion to protect other students from beatings?

Not fair if every bullied student has to quit for lack of protection from the institution where they go to school, or stay until they are beaten so badly that the police have to come in and make arrests.
19:09 May 29, 2012 by Tarc the Mexan
He violated the school's own code of conduct that states "Ingen skall i skolan utsättas för mobbning. Tendenser till trakasserier skall aktivt bekämpas." The school has every right to do what it pleases with him, if that means suspending him and/or barring him from graduating; so be it.
21:04 May 29, 2012 by StockholmSam
Tarc the Mexan beat me to it.

The kid broke the school's code of conduct, which probably has his signature on it. I say, make an example out of him. It apparently is long overdue at this school.
21:35 May 29, 2012 by salalah
Maybe he can be roasted over an open fire at the festivities?
22:09 May 29, 2012 by ccnyberg
Sorry that was a misspelling on my part @engagebrain. Of course one can only speculate. All my knowledge is hersay, but it seems to be agreed that from several students at the school that the situation has been blown out of proportions.

@StockholmSam. Technicaly he has not, as he is yet to be found guilty.
13:31 June 1, 2012 by entry
hmmmm I find myself in agreement with #7 19:09 May 29, 2012 by Tarc the Mexan

Whatever the events they warranted police action. The school is acting properly. I wonder if the parents or the cohorts of the bullies bullied half of the school to sign a petition to allow them to participate in graduation activities. Hopefully, this will not be a once in a lifetime event for these bullies. In the future I hope they are made sorely aware that there is always somebody bigger & stronger and their activities are unacceptable in our society.
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