– Reshma Ravishanker
Against her anticipation of returning to work as usual on Monday, notwithstanding the controversy about her social media posts, Somaiya Vidyavihar’s principal Parveen Shaikh has been fired by the school management.
Just a week after Shaikh said that she was on “sick leave” and would return to work as usual, the news of her termination was made public on Tuesday.
It may be recollected that a controversy involving her liking pro-Hamas and anti-India posts on X (formerly Twitter) surfaced after an online portal OpIndia carried a post against her on April 24. Following social media outrage, the school had called her to attend a meeting on April 26 that involved the HR and expressed their displeasure over her social media expressions.
On May 7, Somaiya Vidyavihar, a Mumbai-based private school with over 80 years of legacy, released an official statement, confirming the termination of Shaikh.
“Recently, it has come to our attention that the personal social media activities of Ms. Parveen Shaikh, who holds a leadership position at The Somaiya School, have been starkly misaligned with the values we cherish. At Somaiya Vidyavihar, we strive to cultivate an environment where knowledge leads to wisdom and uplifts all members of the community, transcending small-mindedness, and personal biases. We strongly support the right to freedom of expression, yet we recognise that it is not absolute and must be exercised with responsibility and respect for others.
“Given the gravity of these concerns, and after careful consideration, the management has discontinued Ms. Parveen Shaikh’s association with Somaiya Vidyavihar to ensure that our ethos of unity and inclusivity is not compromised. We appreciate your patience and support as we work through this review,” the school management said in the statement, adding that they believe it is “crucial to safeguard the impressionable minds of our youth, and ensure that they are nurtured in an environment that upholds the highest standards of integrity and inclusivity.”
Shaikh, however, said that she was unaware of the termination and learnt about it via social media posts.
“The termination notice is completely illegal and based on defamatory lies peddled against me by OpIndia and Nupur Sharma. My work as a school principal has been exceptional and my termination for such a reason is wrongful and unjust.
“I am disappointed that inspite of my hard work, dedication, and sincere contribution to the school’s growth over 12 years, the management chose not to stand by me in the face of this vitriolic public vilification campaign run against me, and instead fell prey to it and took this drastic and unwarranted action. This action appears to be politically motivated. I hold firm belief in our legal system and the Indian Constitution and I am currently considering my legal options,” she told EW.
Posted in Campus, News
