Families say Tampere Steiner School downplayed years of bullying, file police complaints

YLE reports parents say Tampere Steiner School has downplayed years of bullying and physical violence on campus. They allege school leaders, including current and former principals, board members and some teachers, failed to intervene. The disputes have prompted police inquiries and legal complaints.

Interviews collected by YLE identify at least nine children whom parents say suffered bullying or school violence. In some cases parents hired lawyers and filed complaints with authorities.

Police records include a 2019 fine for a 16-year-old convicted of assault. A November 2023 assault is now with three suspects under prosecutorial review. There was also an allegation of sexual violence involving under-15s that police later closed, and a parent has appealed that decision to the prosecutor.

Prevention specialist Marja Snellman-Aittola, from Mieli Mental Health Finland, warns that bullying at the school could in many instances meet “the legal criteria for a crime”. According to YLE, Snellman-Aittola says schools must treat such cases seriously from the outset, while the school has admitted shortcomings and said it is ready to improve. YLE also reports that police have investigated several violence-related incidents linked to the school in recent years.

School head Jari Hildén says he sees no breach of official duty. He concedes the school could in some cases have notified police earlier and says it is prepared to improve how it handles bullying. Tamperelainen lawyer Noora Pikkuluoto, who advises on education-law matters for the OAJ, says schools’ obligations include responding immediately, reporting assaults to police and making child-welfare notifications where required. YLE adds that Pikkuluoto also recommends prevention steps such as strengthening class cohesion, improving communication between school and home, and ensuring children who report bullying are thanked so their accounts are taken seriously.

Former principal Jenni Katajisto and board chair Taneli Eisto say the school takes bullying seriously, while parents and a lawyer who has worked on the cases say leadership initially minimized reports and was slow to act.

Some parents have filed a criminal referral against members of the school leadership. Police confirm they have received the request.

The allegations come amid a wider debate on school safety in Tampere, following the parents' six-point anti-bullying pact and calls from veteran school-safety experts for clearer, more practical rules on handling student violence.