The City of Copenhagen did not act with respect for teacher’s freedom of speech

Publiceret 04-02-2026

The City of Copenhagen reprimanded a primary and lower secondary school teacher after she had given an interview in a Danish newspaper article headlined ‘Teacher concussed and bruised after being hit: ‘Like being in a war zone’’. The interview was about her experience with violent pupil behaviour at the school where she was previously employed and about her perspectives on pupils’ behavioural issues generally.

The Ombudsman has investigated the City’s handling of the case, including the circumstances around the reprimand meeting. During the meeting, she was reprimanded, and, in that connection, she was, among other things, asked to keep a low profile with respect to contact with the press. The City has subsequently expressed that this request was highly regrettable, which the Ombudsman naturally agrees with.

The Ombudsman also concludes that the City’s handling of the episode did not take place with respect for – and recognition of – her freedom of speech.

‘Public employees now have a right by law to make use of their freedom of speech – and thereby to contribute with their knowledge and experience to qualify the public debate – without being subjected to negative reactions from management. In this case, a teacher shared her own experiences as a teacher. In my opinion, the statements are clearly made on her own behalf and must be considered in the core area of public employees’ freedom of speech’, says Parliamentary Ombudsman Christian Britten Lundblad.

Called the teacher to a meeting after interview

The City of Copenhagen has explained to the Ombudsman that the reason why the teacher was called to a meeting after the interview was not her statements in the article but a press photo, which accompanied the article and which she had not asked permission for.

Based on, among other things, the circumstances of the meeting and the minutes from the meeting, the Ombudsman finds it justifiable that the events could be understood as a negative reaction from management towards the teacher due to her statements. The Ombudsman also finds that the City of Copenhagen has not rectified the relevant issues in the case towards the teacher and ensured that she has received comprehensive and correct information about her employment situation and her right to express her opinions. In relation to the City’s reprimand, the Ombudsman also points to the fact that the teacher had actually informed her school principal about the interview with the newspaper in advance, and that the principal, according to the information available in the case, had not in that connection asked or informed her about the question of taking photos at the school. 

Therefore, the Ombudsman has recommended that the City of Copenhagen reopen the case and has asked the City to inform him within three months what the recommendation gives the City occasion to do.

The Ombudsman also finds that the subsequent contact from the City’s press staff to several media about the teacher’s statements must be considered very unfortunate.

Read the whole statement (in Danish).

Further details:

Director of International Relations Klavs Kinnerup Hede, kkh@ombudsmanden.dk

Facts

A public employee may on their own behalf participate in the public debate and express personal opinions and views. This also applies to subjects concerning the individual’s own field of work.

When you, as a public employee, make statements on your own behalf, management cannot demand that you first obtain permission to make an intended statement. Nor can management demand that you inform management of statements made on your own behalf.

A public employee must not be met with negative reactions relating to employment law (for instance refraining from granting pay supplements, changing field of work, warning or dismissal) due to statements made on your own behalf.

When statements are made on the authority’s behalf, however, management at a public workplace may decide who makes the statements and what they can say in that connection.

The freedom of speech of public employees is protected under, among other things, Section 77 of the Danish Constitutional Act and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Until 1 July 2025, the rules on the freedom of speech of public employees were established through, among other things, case law, the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s practice and the labour law system.

Effective from 1 July 2025, the rules on public employees’ freedom of speech are established in Act No. 557 of 27 May 2025 on public employees’ freedom of speech. In that connection, the Ministry of Justice has issued Guidance Notes No. 9598 of 1 July 2025 on public employees’ freedom of speech. An overview of the rules can also be found in overview #17 (in Danish) on public employees’ freedom of speech in the Guide for Authorities on the Ombudsman’s website.