Educators threatened with violence on social media, teachers' union files police report

Social media comments that incited violence towards identifiable educators from the San Gorg Preca College have been reported to the police by the Malta Union of Teachers.

The union said in a statement on Wednesday that it filed a report with the Police Commissioner after Facebook comments beneath a news report dealing with a bullying incident at a school, had targeted specific educators.

“MUT is asking for an investigation and action to be taken to protect those educators […] screenshots with the details have been sent to the Police Commissioner,” the MUT said.

The union said it is regularly "attacked" on social media, whenever it defended the rights of educators, saying it never sought police action.

“However, hate speech and incitement of violence towards educators can never be tolerated, and the cases MUT is informed of, will be reported directly to the police,” it said.

MaltaToday reached out to MUT President Marco Bonnici, who confirmed educators from San Ġorġ Preca College in Ħamrun were targeted in the comments. He explained that the recent bullying incident was unrelated to the educators mentioned.

The comments had called for the educators to be hanged, with the individual claiming that teachers turn a blind eye to violence there and urged for the "clearing" of "rubbish" from the school.