Christian Raimo, an author and teacher at Rome’s Archimede High School, has been suspended from his teaching position for three months. The disciplinary measure, issued by Italy’s Ministry of Education and Merit, accuses Raimo of violating the ethical code for ministry employees. Raimo’s comments, made during a public debate at the national festival of Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra, where he had recently run as a candidate in the European elections, criticized Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara from the League party. Raimo described Valditara’s ideology as embodying “the worst: incompetence, a resurgence of humiliation,” and accused it of being “ableist, classist, and sexist,” further likening it to a “Death Star” in need of dismantling.
Along with the suspension, Raimo faces a 50% salary reduction during this period. The decision has provoked a backlash from his students, who staged a protest in front of the Archimede High School, displaying a banner that read, “Three months of suspension for an opinion.” This incident has fueled a larger conversation about freedom of speech within Italy’s education system, as students rally to support their teacher’s right to express his views.
