The state institution will always stand by its agents, those who are on the front lines in the face of attacks on secularism, against attempts by Islamist groups to infiltrate our schools,” said the head of government on TF1, following the announcement of the resignation of the principal of Maurice-Ravel high school, who had been threatened with death since the incident. “I have decided that the state will file a complaint against this young woman for false accusation,” declared Gabriel Attal.
The student’s complaint was closed without further action for being an “insufficiently characterized offense,” the prosecution announced on Wednesday. “Secularism” is “constantly being tested”
“Secularism” is “constantly being tested. And as we can see, there is a form of Islamist influence that is especially evident in our schools,” stated the Prime Minister.
“This influence, these attacks have recently claimed the lives of two victims in the National Education family, Dominique Bernard and Samuel Paty,” he recalled. These two teachers were killed in Islamist attacks, Samuel Paty in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in October 2020 and Dominique Bernard in Arras in October 2023.
“He (the principal) has shown great dignity in this trial”
On Wednesday afternoon, the Prime Minister met with the principal of Maurice-Ravel high school for an hour. “I really want to pay tribute to him because he has shown great dignity in this trial. He was supposed to retire in June. Some advised him, for security reasons, to leave a little early,” he said. “He simply did his job.” “He asked a young woman to comply with the law, which means removing her veil in the school. This young woman refused, and, even worse, she tried to intimidate him by accusing him of assault or violence.”
