Diabetic Thessaloniki pupil alleges classroom discrimination

The National Federation of Associations of Greek Diabetics (POSSASDIA) has accused a teacher at a high school in Thessaloniki of discriminating against a diabetic second-year pupil.

According to a complaint sent by the federation to the school’s principal, the teacher at the school in the Hortiatis district accosted the student and told her to leave class every time she wanted to take her insulin injection.

The teacher allegedly claimed that injecting insulin would set a bad example to her fellow students and lead them to drugs.

The girl’s mother said the school principal had also aggressively demanded that the pupil leave the classroom to take her insulin.

The principal has vehemently denied the claim, saying that the girl was never accosted or ordered out of class, but rather that it was suggested she be more discreet as she would draw the attention of her classmates.

“We, the teacher and I, never forbade her from taking the injection in class,” he said, adding that they told her it “would be better if she did it outside class.”