Charline Avenel (here in 2022, during a visit by Pap Ndiaye) was the rector of the Versailles academy when Nicolas’s parents received a threatening letter from the rectorate. GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP
Charline Avenel affirms Parisian not having been aware of the threatening letter sent by his rectorate to the parents of the schoolboy who committed suicide at the beginning of September. She deplores “flaws in the procedure”.
His silence had become deafening. Rector of the Versailles academy from October 2018 to July 2023, Charline Avenel was therefore at the head of the rectorate last year, when her services sent Nicolas’s parents a threatening letter, described as “shame» by the Minister of Education Gabriel Attal. This letter addressed to the parents of the teenager, who committed suicide at the beginning of September, criticized them for their attitude towards the officials of the rectorate when they reported the harassment suffered by their son.
The revelation of this letter in the press sparked a wave of national indignation. Since then, other similar letters have been revealed. So on Friday, the father of an 11-year-old girl accused the academy representatives of having also sent him a letter “threatening” after the filing of a complaint against X in March for acts of sexual touching allegedly suffered by his daughter.
In a long interview given to Parisian Charline Avenel returned to these letters, and first asked forgiveness from Nicolas’s parents: “I understand their indignation, she declared. But, above all, I present, in my name and in the name of the institution that I directed, apologies to the parents of Nicholas . It is unacceptable that they received such a letter.”
Read alsoSchool harassment: after the “shame” letter, Attal summons the rectors
Letters sent “indiscriminately”
Charline Avenel, who confesses to having first “decide to [s]be silent until the end of the inspection ordered by the Minister of Education“, believes that “he’s from [s]we have to give some keys to understanding» so as not to let “some untruths thrive“. She explains that she discovered the letter addressed to Nicolas’s parents in the press. “This letter was not intended to be communicated to me. Obviously, today, I am not discarding», she declares, recalling that the Versailles academy is the one in France which has the largest number of students.
This letter followed a request for functional protection by the principal of the college where the teenager was educated. The principal had in fact requested assistance from the rectorate, because Nicolas’ parents were considering filing a complaint against him.
“A letter of disapproval is sent by the rectorate to parents who threaten a member of the teaching staff», recalls Charline Avenel, who nevertheless believes that “in the present case, there was no need to send such a letter to parents in distress, in a case of harassment and without taking care to discuss“. Had Nicolas’ parents really engaged in reprehensible behavior against the school principal? “From what I know of the parents’ attitude, absolutely nothing justified this sending…» says Charline Avenel, without giving more details. In any case, she recognizes a problem in the organization of the rectorate’s services: “this dysfunction highlights flaws in the procedure and raises the question of the human relationship with users“.
Read alsoControversial letters, threats… The Versailles rectorate in turmoil
“I validated the principle of letters sent to families threatening teachers. But never for correspondence with families whose children are victims of harassment. I discovered that these letters of disapproval were sent, and I fear in large numbers, indiscriminately to families in distress.» adds the former rector.
Charline Avenel also returns to more personal criticisms which were sometimes addressed to her: a fellow student of Emmanuel Macron at the ENA, her appointment was sometimes criticized as being due to her proximity to the head of state. “I am indeed the prey of a violent campaign of threats and insults on social networks, she reacts. This is secondary to the drama we are experiencing, but I have filed complaints.» And to add, to defend himself from any proximity with Emmanuel Macron: “We were in the same ENA promotion, but we are not close. […] I have only seen the president on rare, all professional occasions since I took office. My application was not exotic.»
The Minister of Education announced the launch of an audit on the management of harassment cases from September 2022 to September 2023 in each academy. Gabriel Attalwill go to the Versailles rectorate on Monday morning to take stock with the new rector», named in mid-July, announced rue de Grenelle.