Teacher Acquitted in Harassment Case Linked to Student Suicide

The court cited insufficient evidence to convict the teacher, while Evaëlle's parents plan to appeal the controversial verdict.

The Pontoise court acquitted the teacher, Pascale B., of harassment charges related to 11-year-old Evaëlle's suicide in 2019, citing 'discordant, indirect, and little circumstantiated' evidence.
Prosecutors had argued the teacher's actions catalyzed peer harassment against Evaëlle, but the court ruled her behavior fell within legitimate classroom authority.
Evaëlle's parents expressed outrage at the verdict, claiming it legitimizes abusive teaching practices and fails to address systemic institutional failures.
The parents have announced plans to appeal the decision, while the teacher maintains her innocence, denying any responsibility for Evaëlle's death.
The case has reignited national debates in France over educator accountability, school harassment policies, and the broader failures of the education system to protect vulnerable students.