VIDEO: School Principal's Son Strikes Lieutenant Teacher with Phone, Leading to His Dismissal

Tigran Azizyan, a 68-year-old former teacher and military officer who participated in the Artsakh wars, reported that he was assaulted by the son of the principal at Yerevan's Aghasi Khanjyan High School No. 53. In an interview with Auroranews, he stated that for the past year, Principal Mariam Sargsyan has aimed to have him dismissed, which was recently accomplished.

Azizyan mentioned that since December, the teachers' restroom at the school had not been operational due to technical issues, forcing him and the school's chess instructor to seek restroom facilities elsewhere.

“This led to an unpleasant incident on March 18 when I had to use the boys' restroom. While inside, three boys from class 8B poured a Coca-Cola beverage over me. I am sure they didn’t know I was there. I did not react at that moment, feeling embarrassed. I waited until they left without realizing I was the target of their prank. I suspect they told their friends about it and were waiting to see who they had dumped the drink on. One of them shouted that I was inside, and they all started laughing,” Azizyan recounted.

He explained that he was in uniform, and his clothes were completely stained. “At that moment, the class teacher, Tatev Poghosyan, entered and asked what happened. I asked her to take the three boys to my office to speak with them and request that they not raise their voices as it was uncomfortable. We walked quietly, yet they continued to laugh at me from behind. I thought they might at least apologize, but they only laughed louder. The class teacher admonished them. We entered my office, and I admit I slapped them for their rude comments and behavior, telling them to return with their parents on Monday.”

Afterward, Azizyan went downstairs and spotted the three boys near the principal’s office, waiting to speak with her. He anticipated being called in for an explanation, but that did not occur.

“Later, I learned that the principal called their parents and asked them to write a statement claiming that I had insulted them and retaliated against the children. Then the principal held a pedagogical meeting, summoned me, and issued a strict reprimand,” he said.

Azizyan appealed to state authorities and claims he was able to prove that he had not received any prior warnings, was summoned to a pedagogical session, and the reprimand was recorded without considering his side of the story.

He also stated that the principal's son, Narek Khachatryan, who simultaneously worked as a chess teacher and a night guard at the school, began psychologically pressuring him after the incident. “The principal's son would approach my office and start speaking loudly, claiming that I was causing trouble. I am a war veteran; the Turks have nicknamed me ‘Sheytan,’ and my students even made a poster that said, ‘Sheytan is my teacher’. His aim was clear: to provoke me. I didn’t react to his provocations and reported the situation to the principal, requesting that she address her son's behavior. I received the answer that he is one of our staff and can speak however he wants,” he added.

The story escalated until recently. On November 9, Azizyan encountered the principal’s son, Narek Khachatryan, at a bank near his home, where Khachatryan reportedly struck him in the face with his mobile phone and started cursing at him. “There are cameras that recorded it. I have reported it to the police,” he noted.

Video footage received shows part of the scuffle between Azizyan and Khachatryan. “On November 10, I informed the school counselor that I needed to go for a forensic examination. I left the school and returned for class. The next day, I felt very unwell, and I did not attend class because my face was swollen, and my eyes were shut. Days later, I received a notice that I was dismissed from the school for not showing up. I had been absent for one day and explained why I hadn’t attended, stating in my letter that the reason was the assault by the principal's son. I requested that my explanation be included in the records, but that has not been done,” Azizyan explained.

He mentioned that all the school’s teachers are aware of the illegal activities taking place. “Hours for groups have been written down but have not been conducted, and that money has gone into her personal pocket. Hours have been added, yet those have not been paid to the teachers. Everyone knows about this. Former teachers have also approached the anti-corruption committee reporting the abuses, but I do not know why the case was closed. Previously, there was a recording from the cameras, but the principal has now removed those cameras to carry out her illegal activities without interruption.”

Auroranews contacted the press officer of the Armenian Police, who confirmed that on November 9, a report was received from Tigran Azizyan, and the documents created have been forwarded to the investigative body to initiate a criminal case.

We also tried to clarify details from the Investigative Committee of Armenia, but our calls went unanswered.

We also spoke with Mariam Sargsyan, the principal of Yerevan's Aghasi Khanjyan High School No. 53, to understand what happened and the reasons behind the issues with the teacher.

According to Sargsyan, the situation created by Tigran Azizyan has caused tension in the school for a long time. “Believe me, we have tolerated the inconveniences caused by Azizyan for a long time. He disrupted the tranquility of the school, creating artificial noise and disturbing the normal flow of classes.”

When asked why the teachers' restroom had not been operational, Sargsyan replied, “Who said it hasn’t been working? Four years ago, with the help of Aro Suikasyan, we renovated nine restrooms, which are still in very good condition today. Of course, sometimes one may not work due to technical issues. You know how kids are; they can be mischievous and sometimes damage property, but that is repaired quickly. On one occasion, one of our teachers asked Azizyan how he could imagine that there would be a separate restroom for male teachers, to which he reacted very negatively.”

Discussing the unpleasant incident between the children and the teacher, the principal stated that the children claimed Azizyan had insulted their mother and slapped them.

When asked how she would comment on the incident involving her son, Narek Khachatryan, Sargsyan remarked, “If that’s the case, why has the incident not been registered at the police or ambulance, and how is it that he came to work the next day?”

Mariam Sargsyan contended that Tigran Azizyan filed a report about the scuffle 20 days after the incident. However, it should be emphasized that according to the police data, Azizyan reported the incident on the same day.