Court Reinstates Teacher Fired by Bnei Brak Municipality Over Mother's Role

A veteran teacher at a Haredi seminary in Bnei Brak, Sara Esther Gita Grossman, has been reinstated by the Regional Labor Court after being fired by the municipality. Grossman had taught at the seminary for 12 years but was dismissed because her mother, Miriam Fenster, served as the seminary's director. The court ruled that the Bnei Brak municipality acted in bad faith and that the dismissal was unjustified, as there were no disciplinary issues with Grossman's performance.

The central issue in the case was Grossman's familial relationship with her mother, under whose management she worked. The municipality's human resources manager even admitted during testimony that the dismissal might have been a mistake. A claim that Grossman concealed her relationship with the director was rejected by the court, as she had reported the familial connection in 2022.

The court outlined two scenarios for Grossman's continued employment. If her mother, Fenster, leaves her position, Grossman will continue in her current role at the seminary. However, if Fenster remains director, the municipality is ordered to find Grossman a position at a different institution, a possibility the municipality had previously failed to explore when Grossman requested a transfer.

In addition to overturning the dismissal, the Bnei Brak municipality was ordered to pay 10,000 shekels in expenses. The municipality retains the right to appeal the court's decision.