A teacher in Phayao province has asked the Ministry of Justice for police protection after a crowd of villagers demanded her removal from the school where she teaches, accusing her of refusing to sign off on children’s lunch menus.
Kalong Jobsri, a senior-level teacher at Ban Rong Chiang Raeng School in Chiang Raeng subdistrict, Phu Sang district, travelled to Bangkok this weekend to seek help from the director of the Ministry of Justice’s Office of Witness Protection. Her request followed a demonstration on July 3, when 40 to 50 villagers gathered outside the school holding signs calling for her removal, alleging she could not work well with colleagues and was causing division within the school.
Kalong told the office she believes the campaign against her stems from her refusal to approve lunch menus supplied by a contractor, which she considered unsuitable for the children in her care. She also raised concerns over the school’s procurement process, which she said should be investigated. She noted that some of those involved were previously connected to school administrators in Chiang Rai province, where she had also raised concerns about lunch programme spending.
Kalong said she had already filed a police report with Phu Sang police, citing damage to her reputation and fears for her safety and property after the protest was covered by local media using inflammatory headlines. She has asked the Witness Protection Office to coordinate with local police to carry out checks at her home and workplace, and for relevant agencies to monitor her safety while she remains in the area.
The case traces back to 2018, when Kalong, then teaching in Wiang Kaen district, Chiang Rai province, reported alleged corruption involving school funds for underprivileged students, lunch programme budgets, and building repair budgets to the National Anti-Corruption Commission. A disciplinary panel was later set up against her and her pay rise was frozen. After requesting a transfer, she moved to Ban Rong Chiang Raeng School, where her car was later scratched and pelted with rocks, prompting her to request further transfers, including to her husband’s home province of Kamphaeng Phet, reported MGR Online.
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