Paris retains accused cello professor
NewsMessage received from Hervé Témime and Chirine Heydari-Malayeri, lawyers acting for the cellist Jerome Pernoo:
A PR agency for the Conservatoire informs us that Pernoo has been suspended from teaching without pay for 12 months. Statement follows.
On 7 September 2021, the Paris Conservatoire (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris – CNSDMP) took disciplinary action against Jérôme Pernoo, professor of cello, in the form of a suspension from his duties for a period of one year, beginning 9 September 2021. Jérôme Pernoo will no longer teach at the Conservatoire and shall be deprived of his salary for the duration of this measure.
Following alerts from students and an internal investigation, the CSNMDP found that Jérôme Pernoo had failed to meet the exemplary standards required by the Conservatoire as a higher education institution.
Numerous testimonies show that Jérôme Pernoo’s teaching methods disrupt the smooth operation of the Conservatoire and hinder the Conservatoire’s ability to fulfil its duty of protection owed to students.
The CNSMDP stresses that, as a public institution of higher education, it is bound to provide its students with an environment which fosters their development and is respectful of their physical and mental integrity.
In this respect, it is the duty of the Conservatoire’s administration to ensure that teaching methods and their impact on students respect these principles. Teaching methods must be designed and developed to provide excellent musical or choreographic training, while ensuring that students are treated fairly and with respect for their physical and mental health.
The Conservatoire’s administration chose to take this type of disciplinary action as a means of appeasement, after having received assurances from Jérôme Pernoo that he would change his teaching methods, abiding to the exemplary standards required in an educational institution.
Good for him. These days being accused mkst of the times means immediately being found guilty so good news that you can still be proven innocent if in fact you are.
Horrible that some use these days of necessary change and turmoil for their own personal gain. Instead of celebrating that victims dare to soeak out and possibly get justice, some just accuse out of spite, revenge or personal gain, not realizing the damage they cause to real victims.
Sometimes, your mere existence makes certain people “uncomfortable”- and that’s all it takes to get cancelled these days.
Guess what the conservatoire is accusing him of (pure folly) : speaking in ‘contrepèteries’ (spoonerisms), and having made gifts to his students : e.g. to a student learning Strauss’ Don Quixote, he gives them Cervantes’ novel.
The horror.
So for him to be cleared of serious misconduct but still suspended for a year without pay, is this a case of a teacher being verbally abusive but not taking it far enough to be sackable? Strange ‘compromise’ that would lead to a whole year without pay. Sounds like a “come back when you’ve learned to behave” punishment.
People should stop touching other people. This week at work two women touched me on the arm and shoulder. I think I have PTSD now.