Caroline Grandjean ended her life in Anglards-de-Salers, central France, following harassment and death threats at the Infant School in the small village of Moussages
A headteacher ended her life following a campaign of anonymous homophobic abuse.
Caroline Grandjean, 42, was harassed by tormentors in her small village for years and, though she called a suicide helpline complaining of her ordeal, the headteacher took her life hours later on Monday.
Paying tribute to Caroline, her wife Christine Paccoud said last night: “I don’t want her to have left for nothing. We loved each other like crazy. She was a passionate teacher who knew how to create a climate of trust. The problem comes from outside.”
Caroline had been off sick since 2023 when the abuse started in Moussages, central France. According to her partner, she suffered from “a complete lack of support”. Christine added: “‘Her superiors didn’t understand Caroline’s suffering, and she mentioned tensions with some parents.”
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Only around 300 people live in Moussages, where Caroline was the principal of the one-room primary school for years. Her career had blossomed but, in December 2023, she found a homophobic slur daubed on the wall of the school’s playground.
Further graffiti appeared the following month and she was harassed, a vile campaign which led to the headteacher failing to return for the new school year in September 2024. Speaking at a forum with other headteachers in January this year, Caroline said: “The start of the school year is always a very difficult time for me… In concrete terms, the investigation isn’t moving forward. Since I’m no longer at the school, there’s obviously no more homophobic tagging. They’ve won over there. They have a replacement [at the school], and she’s fully committed.”
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As teachers prepared for the next term this year, Caroline posted on a Facebook group for school leaders. She said: “Monday, I assure you, will be much more difficult for me at home than for you in your school.”
And, tragically just four days later on Monday September 1, the tormented woman France’s suicide helpline. Later that same day, her body was found in a ravine near her home in Anglards-de-Salers, central France.
Her partner now hopes the tragedy will highlight the challenges the LGBTQ+ community still faces in France and elsewhere. She told a French TV station her wife was a passionate teacher and had exciting career opportunities ahead of her, but these were ruined by the senseless bullying.
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