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Pretty teacher sues church after being bullied and fired

The Local Austria
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Pretty teacher sues church after being bullied and fired
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A teacher in Austria is suing the church after receiving comments about her good looks and then being sacked after she remarried following a divorce.

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Susanne Brandtner-Hafner, 38, who worked at church school, was fired following an inspection where she says she was humiliated and ripped into by an inspector for using the word ‘Omama’ instead of ‘Oma’ for grandma.

The teacher from Vienna comes from a teaching family and says she was delighted to have been offered a job with the religious school, where she completed three years unpaid training before passing her studies with distinction.

Taking care and pride of her appearance, Brandtner-Hafner says she noticed people would make malicious comments about her, which she chose to dismiss, instead concentrating on her work which she says she “did from her heart”.

After the divorced teacher remarried in August 2015, however, she was inspected a few months later and says she was bullied, leading to a breakdown and time off work.

“I have never experienced such humiliation,” she said.

When her contract with the school was not renewed, she sought legal support and with the help of lawyer Astrid Wagner she is now seeking €10,000 in damages from the diocese, although they claim it is not their responsibility.

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