Mumbai school ‘discontinues’ services of principal for liking social media posts on Palestine

Mumbai: The management of a leading school in Mumbai on Tuesday, May 7, announced it has “discontinued” the services of Principal Parveen Shaikh “to ensure that our ethos of unity and inclusivity is not compromised”, days after she was asked to quit reportedly for liking social media posts on the Palestine issue and the Hamas-Israel conflict.

Shaikh, Principal of Somaiya School in Mumbai’s Vidyavihar area, described her “termination” from the post as “completely illegal, drastic and unwarranted” and expressed shock over the “politically motivated” action.

The school management said her personal social media activities were not aligned with the values cherished by the educational institute.

Shaikh was earlier allegedly asked by the management to resign over her social media views, her aide had said on May 2.

The management had then said it was probing the matter.

In a statement shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, May 7, the Somaiya school management said Shaikh’s personal social media activities were “starkly misaligned with the values we cherish” and hence, “given the gravity of concerns” and “after careful consideration”, it discontinued her (services).

” After careful consideration, the management has discontinued Ms Parveen Shaikh’s association with Somaiya Vidyavihar to ensure that our ethos of unity and inclusivity is not compromised,” the statement said.

The school management, in the statement, claimed it strives to cultivate an environment where knowledge leads to wisdom and “uplifts all members of the community, transcending small-mindedness and personal biases”.

“We strongly support the right to freedom of expression, yet we recognize that it is not absolute and must be exercised with responsibility and respect for others,” it said.