▲ KakaoTalk conversation shared by the deceased with an acquaintance during her lifetime
It has been confirmed that the director of a private kindergarten in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, has been subjected to a heavy disciplinary penalty of suspension following the death of a teacher who continued to report to work despite suffering from high fever due to influenza.
According to data obtained from the Ministry of Education by Representative Kang Kyung-sook of the Rebuilding Korea Party, who serves on the National Assembly Education Committee, on October 12, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education held a disciplinary committee in August and resolved a two-month suspension for kindergarten director A, where the deceased teacher in her 20s had worked.
Education authorities determined that director A's actions of forging and uttering the resignation letter of the deceased teacher B and neglecting attendance management duties violated Article 58 of the State Public Officials Act regarding the duty of fidelity.
Previously, the Bucheon Office of Education conducted an audit on director A and requested heavy disciplinary action from the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education.
Representative Kang Kyung-sook stated, "The deceased passed away unfairly while having to go to work amidst excruciating pain from a high fever of 39.8 degrees Celsius, yet the punishment has ended up being a slap on the wrist," adding, "Education authorities must re-conduct a special audit and firmly establish a system to prevent recurrence."
Separately, director A was indicted without detention last August on charges of forging and uttering private documents.
The prosecution (prosecutors' office at the time) sought a six-month prison sentence for director A during the sentencing hearing held on September 15.
The first-instance sentencing hearing is scheduled to be held on October 29 at the Bucheon Branch of the Incheon District Court. Director A is accused of forging teacher B's resignation letter and submitting it to the Bucheon Office of Education.
The resignation date written on this resignation letter was February 10, four days before teacher B passed away, and it was found that at the time, teacher B was in the intensive care unit and unable to write a resignation letter.
Teacher B went to work for three days even after being diagnosed with type B influenza on January 27, and later her symptoms worsened while receiving treatment at a hospital until she passed away on February 14.
(Photo: Provided by the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.