The educator’s post sparked a lively discussion on social media.
Volodymyr Ogura / © Facebook of Volodymyr Ogura
Volodymyr Ogura, the former head of the Lviv education department and now director of the private school “Erudyt,” has caused a significant scandal with a public statement about refusing employment to candidates based on their beliefs, appearance, religious attributes, and sexual orientation.
This is reported in the educator’s post on the social network Facebook.
Feminists, lesbians, women in hijabs, and tattooed individuals
In his post, Ogura provided several accounts from interviews with job applicants at the school. He stated that he rejected candidates who, according to him, demonstrated feminist views, had piercings, dyed hair, tattoos, or belonged to the LGBTQ+ community.
The school principal specifically mentioned a woman in Muslim attire and a hijab, declaring that he would not permit her to teach in such attire due to the institution’s internal regulations.
At the end of the post, he outlined his personal hiring criteria.
“Want to work in my school? No tattoos, colored hair, metal objects on the body, religious symbols, sexual orientation, or political preferences. These are the rules. Who set them? Me!” stated Volodymyr Ogura.
The publication quickly spread across the network, generating hundreds of comments and shares.
Gender expert called for a review of the school’s license
One of the most prominent reactions came from Tamara Zlobina, head of the NGO “Expert Resource ‘Gender in Detail’.”
On her Facebook page, she asserted that the school principal had “gathered all possible stereotypes, hate speech, and arrogance,” and also questioned the safety of the environment for children.
“Hiring rules and the content of education are determined not by his excellency, but by laws. This needs to be addressed within the legal framework. At the very least, the license for this school should be reviewed,” Zlobina wrote.
Ogura: I am not discriminating against people, but opposing propaganda
In a comment to the publication ZAXID.NET, Volodymyr Ogura rejected accusations of discrimination, explaining that he merely shared his personal experiences and views.
According to him, the issue is not with people’s preferences or worldviews, but with their public display of them at the school.
“Leftist ideas, which have greatly influenced the world, are not just promoted but sometimes imposed. I dislike this because it forces a distortion of reality. All propaganda is harmful,” stated the director.
He also emphasized that the institution has uniform rules for both students and teachers: dress code, prohibition of jewelry, and the display of religious or political preferences.
Lviv Oblast State Administration suggests the scandal might serve as advertising for the school
Oleh Paska, head of the Education and Science Department of the Lviv Oblast State Administration, described the situation as ambiguous.
In his opinion, the controversial post could be a form of hidden advertising for the private educational institution and a way to demonstrate the school’s value system to parents.
“The director expressed the values that his school operates by in this manner. However, many parents might find such an approach appealing,” noted the official.
At the same time, he reminded that all educational institutions operate under licenses, and the State Service for Quality of Education has the authority to conduct inspections and, if violations are found, initiate proceedings for their review.
Will the scandal have legal consequences?
According to Oleh Paska, the public statements of the director could also be addressed by the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights.
Currently, the discussion surrounding Volodymyr Ogura’s statements continues on social media, where users are debating the extent of private schools’ autonomy, an employer’s right to set internal rules, and the acceptability of such statements in the public sphere.
We recall that during “KyivPride,” in support of equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community, opponents of the march trampled on a rainbow flag.
Later, a student who desecrated the LGBTQ+ community flag publicly apologized for her actions. The girl explained her behavior by a different “vision of the institution of family.”
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Source: tsn.ua