Radoman Čečović, a professor of Montenegrin (Serbian) language at the “Slobodan Škerović” High School in Podgorica, has been accused of sexually harassing a former student.
The case gained public attention after the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG) published an investigative article titled “Sexual Harassment of Students by Staff: Evidence is Usually Swept Under the Rug.”
Former student Sara Vujisić provided the school principal, Biljana Vučurović, with evidence in the form of screenshots of messages that the professor sent her three years ago, when she was still a student at the school.
According to Sara, the professor sent her lascivious and inappropriate messages shortly after she graduated. She immediately informed the principal and expected that the professor would be removed from his position to protect other students. However, Vučurović decided to punish the professor by reducing his salary by 30% for one month, justifying that “disciplinary measures” had been taken.
The professor admitted guilt, stating that he had “crossed a line” and “played with words.” However, he pointed out that the student was no longer a high school student at the time, but a university student, since the school year had already ended, writes CDM.
Public reactions and new allegations
After the case became public, social media was flooded with condemnations, both of the professor and of Principal Vučurović. The public was shocked by the decision to punish the professor only financially, without removing him from his job. New allegations of possible similar incidents began to surface on social media, although there has been no official confirmation of these claims.
Sara Vujisić addressed the public through a video on her Instagram profile, where she explained what had happened. She stated that after receiving the messages, “her whole world” that she had built in school, with the support of the professor who had been her mentor, collapsed. She added that she was most hurt by the principal’s insufficient response, who, as she said, was more concerned with preserving the school’s reputation than protecting the students.
Sara, with the support of citizens and non-governmental organizations, announced the possibility of organizing a protest, demanding that the professor and principal resign.
“I expected that the professor would be fired so that he wouldn’t endanger another student who might not know how to deal with it,” Sara said.
Radoman Čečović was a member of the Main Board of the Social Democrats of Podgorica but was removed from the membership list after the scandal was made public. MP Boris Mugoša and the party leadership condemned his behavior and distanced themselves from him.
The police have stated that “they are working on the case,” but no official information about the initiation of an investigation has been released. The public has expressed dissatisfaction that the case was not reported to the police three years ago when the student first provided the evidence to the school principal. Criticism has been directed at the failures of the education system and insufficient protection for students in schools.
PROČITAJTE VIŠE:
School Principal’s Press Conference
Under public pressure, the principal of the high school, Biljana Vučurović, announced a press conference scheduled for December 9, today. In a brief statement, the high school stated that “an organized campaign through social media is being directed against this institution and against her personally.”
Vučurović told CIN-CG that the disciplinary procedure was carried out according to the rules and that, up to that point, there had been no other similar complaints against Professor Čečović. She added that the professor expressed “deep regret” for the discomfort he caused the student and the principal.
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Source: Nova.rs, Photo: Printscreen X @Bojana_Jok