The Department of Public Labor (MPT) has filed a public civil action against the Lutheran Educational Society Bom Jesus/Ilosc, of Joinville (SC).
The lawsuit talks about “a violation of the fundamental right to freedom of expression and free political conviction” of the institution’s professors during the 2022 elections. action operator It was the dismissal of the anthropologist Maria Elisa Maximo Post a position criticizing the then president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).
The teacher’s punishment was revealed by the column in October last year, Between the first and second rounds of the presidential elections, which ended with victory Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) v. Bolsonaro.
At the time, María Elisa had witnessed a motorcycle race by the then-candidate for re-election in Joinville (SC). In a post on her Twitter profile, the anthropologist wrote:
“Joinville is a polsonarian sewer, where the last remnants of the campaign of the unspeakable flowed. Nobody escapes: there are vulgar, ugly, fascist people everywhere.”
The teacher’s post ended up going viral and being used by Bolsonary users to link her to the organization, which is associated with the Lutheran Church.. Faced with negative reflexes and threats, I deleted the post. But the publication continued to be repeated in the form of prints. The dismissal came weeks later, without further explanation.
neutrality during elections
MPT’s action against Ielusc refers to an internal communication from the institution’s management to its professors, dated August 15 – the start of the election campaign.
The document made a series of recommendations to staff on what would be the “ideal behavior” to be adopted leading up to the election so as not to cede the “neutral position in periods of political elections” to Ilos.
The most controversial recommendation — and one that gained more repercussions with the anthropologist’s resignation — was one that restricted employees’ political expression even in their own social networks.
“Any opinions and positions of professors and principals are linked to their (our) place of work, as if they were institutional,” the statement read. “Thus, advocating a partisan (sic) political position as Professor Lubum Jesus Ilos is not an expected practice in the virtual world, as it obscures institutional neutrality.”
at work , MPT indicates that Ielusc has had various opportunities for Ielusc to withdraw with its employees and confirms that the restrictions imposed by the organization will not apply to their private social networks and other activities outside of business hours. The entity did not correct the statement.
Regarding María Elisa Maximo’s resignation—which occurred when the investigation had already begun after an anonymous complaint—Ilosec denied political motives, but “offends the people of Joinville.”
According to the college, the position would have been “public” and “the situation would have been politicized by extremism.”
MPT shall charge a compensation of OMR 500,000 from the educational institution, which will be returned to a fund. The first hearing of the proceedings should only take place after the judicial recess, which is scheduled to end in February.
The column sought, the MPT itself did not appear, claiming that the operation was in progress. Ilosek and Professor Maria Elisa Maximo both preferred not to comment on the matter.
* In collaboration with Gabriel Costa
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