French school backs out of plan to change name to honour Samuel Paty

A FRENCH high school that planned to change its name in honour of Samuel Paty, the teacher who was beheaded in Paris, changes its mind for fear of attacks.

The mayor of Ollioules, Robert Beneventi, wanted the Les Eucalyptus school to be renamed Samuel Paty to pay tribute to the Geography and History teacher who was beheaded in October after showing cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in class.

The mayor had obtained the agreement of his family and the Departmental Council, but the teachers, parents and the students themselves spoke out against it for fear of becoming the target of possible attacks.

According to an internal poll, 100 per cent of teachers, 89 per cent of parents and 69 per cent of students objected.

The issue was on the agenda of the Municipal Council for this Saturday, but it has been taken off, according to the French media.

The mayor has said that he is studying a way to pay tribute to Paty in another way.

The teacher was beheaded in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, north of Paris, by Abdoullakh Anzorov, an 18-year-old Chechen refugee who was killed by the police after the crime.

Thank you for taking the time to read this news article “French school backs out of plan to change name to honour Samuel Paty”. For more UK daily news, Spanish daily news and Global news stories, visit the Euro Weekly News home page.