A teacher from a Catholic nursery school in the town of Treviso has sparked a strong controversy in Italy after the parents of some students discovered that she had an account on the sexually-oriented platform OnlyFans. The case has prompted the Ministry of Education to review the 2023 regulations for public employees to include a specific section regulating the use of social media by teachers.
The teacher, Elena Maraga, opened an account on OnlyFans, and her profile was "discovered" by the parents of the children, as reported by Il Corriere de la Sera. The school principal spoke with her and asked her to delete the profile, accusing her of tarnishing the school's image, but she insisted: "I am not ashamed and I do not regret what I did." She now faces the risk of being dismissed: she has been suspended from teaching pending a legal resolution of the matter.
Meanwhile, her story is at the center of public and political debate. The government is considering revising the statute that establishes the rights and duties of teachers to address how they should behave on social media and how this can influence their role as educators of minors with whom they are in close daily contact and who can be crucial in their emotional and social development.
The 2023 Public Service Code also specifically regulates "expressions," as detailed by the Italian newspaper: public employees are expected to " avoid statements, images, or comments that could harm the prestige or image of the administration," and it is specified that administrations may establish a "social media policy," thus determining what can and cannot be posted without compromising the administration's reputation.
In the past, reference has already been made to these rules to reprimand certain "inappropriate" behaviors of teachers, who are public employees in all respects: Alfonso D'Ambrosio, awarded as the best innovative teacher in 2016, had to face disciplinary proceedings in 2020 for 16 Facebook posts criticizing former Education Minister Lucia Azzolina, and recently, the teacher and writer Christian Raimo was also suspended from teaching for three months - with a half salary reduction - after insulting the current Education Minister, Giuseppe Valditara.
The government's intention is to modify part of the text to specifically adapt it to the characteristics of teachers' work and to especially consider the behavior they must maintain on social media, which have become prevalent in all areas of work and private life. Lawyers and ministry officials are already working to integrate the rules to suit different situations.
Meanwhile, the Italian Federation of Nursery Schools is promoting the idea of developing an ethical code that can regulate the behavior of teachers on social media: it will be voted on at the next provincial assembly on April 30. However, this document would only affect private nursery schools of Christian inspiration, such as the one in Treviso.