Teacher defends her risqué novel after sacking

AN ENGLISH teacher who was sacked after a risqué novel she wrote that referred to pupils swearing, drinking and fantasising about her was published on the internet, has told a court she believed it was "innovative".

Leonora Rustamova, who was known as Miss Rusty to her pupils, lost her job after the book named her school, pupils and colleagues and detailed teenage fantasies, violence and a criminal drug

den.

Her sacking from Calder High School, near Hebden Bridge, prompted demonstrations by students and a campaign by parents to have her reinstated.

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The book – entitled Stop! Don't Read This! – is peppered with expletives and names several teachers and Year 11 pupils, who were referred to as Miss Rusty's favourites.

The story appeared on a self-publishing website before it was removed.

Mrs Rustamova created the book to encourage a group of difficult teenage boys to read but her employers decided the publishing was a case of gross misconduct.

The 40-year-old from Huddersfield is claiming unfair dismissal and breach of contract.

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In a statement to an employment tribunal in Leeds, she said she had started working with the group of 13 Year 11 boys who were described as "one of the most difficult and unteachable groups one could come across".

She said one teacher had warned her they were "overly racist, violent and misogynistic in their presentation in school and their wider community at the time, they were in regular trouble with the police".

Mrs Rustamova claimed that before she started teaching the group, known as the Commie Boys, in 2007 she was warned by one of the pupils in a corridor: "We've got you for English in September and we're gonna break you."

But the teacher, who had worked at the school for almost 10 years, took on the challenge, saying: "It was a fantastic experience working with this group, developing them and their attitudes and seeing all but one successfully avoid being expelled and seeing some of them into college."

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Mrs Rustamova said her success was down to extra lessons, incentives, extra reading, revision lessons and by writing this book with them.

She said she was pleased with their enthusiasm for the book. For one of the boys, it was the first book he had ever read.

The novel was about a group of five year 11 students, who are 15 and 16-year-olds, who discover a criminal drug den beneath the school.

It features students flirting with teachers, and two pupils described as being as gorgeous as "two Mr Gay UK finalists", there are also pupils skipping school and a suggestion of drug use.

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One pupil is described as fantasising and flirting with Miss Rusty, while she says she would do anything for a smile from another.

She writes: "It's getting harder and harder to see them just as kids."

Later she describes how the youngsters practise "orgasmic moans", which sound like "the soundtrack to teenage gay porn".

In her statement she said headteacher Stephen Ball called the book a "triumph" and encouraged her to publish copies in order for her pupils to read it.

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But she claims the problem came when she handed over the publication to her husband, Denis, who used to work in publishing, and he put the book on the internet in order to print and bind copies in September 2008.

She said: "If the book had been publicly available on the internet then this was an unfortunate mistake."

In the meantime the book was praised and 12 copies were made, which were handed out to the class.

She was later promoted in recognition of her work.

But when it became known that it was on the internet, she was suspended. The school claim that the publication breaches confidentiality and fails to safeguard the children. Mrs Rustamova was sacked in May 2009.

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As part of her case she claims another teacher took on a project with students to produce a film called Under the Bridge which showed students drinking and taking drugs.

She said she consulted with Mr Ball every step of the way and was never aware she was doing anything wrong.

The vice chairman of governors at the school, Jean Bradbury, told the hearing yesterday: "The book brought the school into disrepute, in large part because the book was available in the public arena and the fact the school was named."

The hearing continues.