Hello,
This is a delicate and sensitive question because it involves a responsibility toward everyone affected: both the class and all the students, as well as the child in question. We cannot ignore our broader educational obligations.
As general background on such issues, it is worth reading the articles of Rabbi Yehuda Zoldan on this topic, including “And if a student’s teacher is angry with him, he may leave – the removal of a student from a Torah institution.”
The starting point to dealing with such matters is to first try to fulfill our dual obligation—before resorting to authoritative intervention or firm demands, we should examine whether all possibilities for dialogue with the parents have been exhausted. It is crucial to establish that this is not merely “mischief” but a serious problem.
However, if such efforts have been exhausted and have not succeeded, then it is certainly permissible to take such action for two reasons:
- Our responsibility to the collective takes precedence over our responsibility to the individual, as is well demonstrated in the structure of Sefer Bamidbar. More on this can be read here: [link].
- The rights of the victims always take precedence over the rights of the perpetrator.
Because of this, when there is no other choice, this is the appropriate course of action. However, it is essential to remember that even in such a case, we still have an obligation to care for the child himself and ensure that he is placed in a framework that will help him reach his potential.
All the best,
Yuval Cherlow
Rabbi Cherlow is the Head of the Ethics Department at the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization
For Additional Reading:
