German Teacher's "Genocide" Posts: Criminal Case Dropped, Disciplinary Action Continues

A criminal investigation into a German teacher's social media posts criticizing Israel's actions in Gaza has been dropped due to insufficient evidence of incitement to hatred. The public prosecutor's office in Mainz confirmed that the case was closed because there was no sufficient suspicion of a crime. Despite the criminal case closure, Hessian school authorities are continuing with disciplinary proceedings against the teacher, who has been on mandatory leave for a year. The teacher, who taught mathematics and computer science, had posted on his private Instagram account condemning the alleged "genocide" in Gaza and supporting the Palestinian right to armed resistance, while accusing the German government of supporting Israeli war crimes. A Darmstadt administrative court had previously deemed his suspension justified, citing "antisemitic and anti-Israeli" comments and links on his public account. The court also noted that the teacher admitted to discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in his lessons, even if it was outside his subject area and unrelated to the curriculum, meaning his statements could not be considered purely private. The Rüsselsheim school authority had initially banned him from his duties, citing breaches of civil servant duties and potential criminal offenses. While an emergency appeal against this ban was unsuccessful, the case is now before the Hessian Administrative Court of Appeal, which is reportedly seeking a swift decision. The disciplinary proceedings were on hold pending the criminal investigation's outcome. However, the closure of the criminal case does not predetermine the disciplinary outcome, as civil servant regulations impose stricter standards than criminal law. The Hessian Ministry of Education declined to comment on the matter, citing policies against public statements on personnel issues.