Official fired for talking on her mobile phone
A local education official from southern Sweden has been sacked after she disclosed sensitive information about colleagues during mobile phone conversations which were easily overheard by others.
On more than one occasion in recent weeks Bodil Karsvall, the head of the child and youth administration in Karlskrona municipality, was overheard gossiping about school employees on her mobile phone when riding on a train.
In one instance, Karsvall spoke openly to the principal about a teacher, mentioning the teacher by name and discussing details about the teacher’s personal life, well within earshot of fellow passengers, the local Blekinge Läns Tidning (BLT) reports.
Someone who overheard the conversation, the tone of which was described as “mocking”, alerted municipal officials about Karsvall’s lack of discretion.
Shortly after the incident, the local teachers' union announced it had "lost confidence" in Karsvall.
“She’s not going to work as the head of schools if the staff doesn’t have any confidence in her,” local union chair Hans Bengtsson told Sveriges Radio (SR) last week.
The union in turn urged municipal leaders to take action, and on Friday Karlskrona municipality announced that Karsvall’s time as a city leader was over.
“The political leadership of Karlskrona municipality no longer has confidence in Bodil Karsvall in her role as head of child and youth administration,” the municipality said in a statement.
“Bodil Karsvall will leave her job as an administrative head as soon as terms for her departure are negotiated.”
In a message to colleagues, Karsvall said the decision was “really sad and not what I wanted”, the local Sydöstran newspaper reported.
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On more than one occasion in recent weeks Bodil Karsvall, the head of the child and youth administration in Karlskrona municipality, was overheard gossiping about school employees on her mobile phone when riding on a train.
In one instance, Karsvall spoke openly to the principal about a teacher, mentioning the teacher by name and discussing details about the teacher’s personal life, well within earshot of fellow passengers, the local Blekinge Läns Tidning (BLT) reports.
Someone who overheard the conversation, the tone of which was described as “mocking”, alerted municipal officials about Karsvall’s lack of discretion.
Shortly after the incident, the local teachers' union announced it had "lost confidence" in Karsvall.
“She’s not going to work as the head of schools if the staff doesn’t have any confidence in her,” local union chair Hans Bengtsson told Sveriges Radio (SR) last week.
The union in turn urged municipal leaders to take action, and on Friday Karlskrona municipality announced that Karsvall’s time as a city leader was over.
“The political leadership of Karlskrona municipality no longer has confidence in Bodil Karsvall in her role as head of child and youth administration,” the municipality said in a statement.
“Bodil Karsvall will leave her job as an administrative head as soon as terms for her departure are negotiated.”
In a message to colleagues, Karsvall said the decision was “really sad and not what I wanted”, the local Sydöstran newspaper reported.
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