Italy’s “worst worker”: Teacher didn’t show up for classes for 20 years

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Is she Italy’s worst employee? Cinzia Paolina D.*, 56, is said to have used sick leave, vacation days and permits to attend conferences and training sessions, so that she did not have to teach for more than two decades. The Daily Mail reports on the special case.

Only this year, after numerous complaints, she was expelled from school. This required a court order from Italy’s highest court – the Court of Cassation. Previously, she had largely avoided work for 24 years. For ten years she was completely absent, in the remaining 14 years she appeared only rarely. She was originally hired to teach all about literature and philosophy to students at a high school in Chioggia, near Venice.

According to the verdict, D. took 67 sick leave between 2001 and 2021 alone and her absence lasted between 40 and 160 days. She also took paid time off to care for her parents and maternity leave.

Besides the official vacation and holidays, there was not much time left for the boys and girls. Sometimes their students went on strike. They criticized the lack of preparation and the arbitrary assignment of grades. They also claimed that D. phoned and texted during the oral exams.

The teacher was always on her mobile

In 2017, an inspection by the Ministry of Education concluded that “their teaching methods were incompatible with the lessons”, as the Italian newspaper “La Repubblica” reported. The ministry noted that the teacher texted constantly and paid little attention to students’ questions.

The teacher was subsequently fired, but successfully took legal action against the dismissal. A judge initially declared the dismissal unlawful. The three-day inspection was “too short an observation period” to confirm absolute and permanent unfitness.

The case eventually reached the Italian Supreme Court. The Court of Cassation found the dismissal justified, labeling her absence as “not normal” and ruling that the teacher was “permanently and absolutely unfit” for her profession.

D. denied the allegations to Italian media. However, she cannot give more details at the moment. The curious reason: She is currently at the beach. (nad)

*Name known

Source: Blick