Franco Damiani, an Italian teacher suspended and transferred from his position at Rolando da Piazzola high school for overt anti-Semitism, is suing members of the school's parents association for defamation.
Damiani was suspended for six months in 2004 for espousing holocaust denial in his class and for making anti-Semitic remarks, such as accusing the Jews of being enemies fomenting turmoil among Catholics. He was later transferred to another school.
In a legal proceeding taking place before a local Justice of the Peace in Padua, Italy, Damiani appeared on May 21st and tried to frame his case as one of academic freedom, ignoring his other anti-Semitic acts and focusing on holocaust denial as the sole issue.
Damiani claims that he introduced holocaust denial into the classroom in order to 'make his students think'. Damiani is demanding damages and a return to his former position at the school, but the underlying goal that the discredited teacher is attempting to attain is getting the court to agree that his holocaust denying teaching, based on the work of David Irving, is a legitimate classroom curriculum.
David Irving: his lawsuit ended in condemnation and personal defeat
Maurizio Segato and Ivana Slaviero, representatives of the high school's parents association, are being personally sued by the former teacher. They will appear before the Justice of the Peace on June 10th to refute Damiani's claims.
Reported by the Italian Center on Contemporary Anti-Jewish Prejudice and the Corriere del Veneto newspaper.
