Gyeonggi Superintendent Calls for Dropping Charges Against Nutrition Teacher Over Cafeteria Finger Amputation Accident

Gyeonggi Superintendent of Education Ahn Min-suk and the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education have called for the dismissal of charges against a nutrition teacher who was referred to the prosecution for professional negligence resulting in injury following a finger amputation accident involving a cafeteria worker at a middle school in Gyeonggi Province last year.

On July 20, at approximately 1:20 p.m., Superintendent Ahn signed and submitted a petition to the prosecution at the lobby of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education’s Gwanggyo complex in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, urging that no charges be filed against the nutrition teacher, identified as B, from a middle school in the Dongtan New Town area of Hwaseong.

The case stems from an accident in July of last year at the middle school's cafeteria, where a cafeteria worker suffered the amputation of about 2 cm of their right ring finger while using a hand mixer.

In December of the same year, police referred teacher B to the prosecution without detention on charges of professional negligence resulting in injury, concluding that the teacher held responsibility for safety management failures.

Immediately after signing the petition, Superintendent Ahn stated, "It is unfair to hold an individual nutrition teacher responsible for an accident that occurred while performing educational duties under poor cafeteria conditions, such as aging facilities." He added, "As Superintendent, I will protect them from such unfair treatment."

He continued, "I will work to persuade the National Assembly to pass legislation providing immunity so that teachers are not held liable for accidents occurring during educational activities," and added, "I will personally oversee this matter by including it in the scope of the Teacher Rights Protection Committee."

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education maintains that it is unjust to hold the nutrition teacher personally liable, noting that the school had conducted industrial safety and health training in accordance with relevant laws and had completed risk assessments.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education and fellow teachers have previously submitted petitions requesting leniency for teacher B.

Superintendent Ahn Min-suk also personally drafted and submitted a petition to the prosecution.

The cafeteria worker injured in the accident has also submitted a statement to the police expressing a desire not to press charges.

The provincial office of education also expressed concern over the possibility that the prosecution might consider a suspension of indictment.

A suspension of indictment is a disposition where the suspect is not sent to trial despite the recognition of charges, after considering various circumstances such as extenuating factors.

An official from the provincial office of education emphasized, "We understand that the prosecution recently mentioned a 'suspension of indictment' to the nutrition teacher's legal representative," adding, "Since a suspension of indictment implies a guilty verdict acknowledging professional negligence, it could lead to disciplinary action or other harm to the teacher. A decision of no charges must be made."

The official added, "A similar finger amputation accident occurred at a high school cafeteria in the same region around the same time, but that case was cleared by the police with no charges. Consistent decisions should be made in similar cases."

(Photo: Provided by Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.