Pétur Maack, a psychologist in Akureyri has filed charges against Snorri Óskarsson, a teacher at the local Brekkuskóli elementary school, mbl.is  reports.

  Akureyri. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.

Snorri was recently sent on a six month paid leave due to his controversial writings about homosexuality.

In an article in the weekly publication Akureyri, Pétur explains that the reasons behind his actions are Snorri’s comments on his personal blog. There appears to be uncertainty as to the boundaries of freedom of expression and that is why he has decided to press charges.

Pétur also writes that in the past days and weeks, a series of important people in the community have come to Snorri’s defense after the Akureyri Town Council decided to send him on the six month paid leave.

The town’s authorities have been accused of suppression of opinion and even infringing upon Snorri’s freedom of speech, which is stipulated in the Constitution of Iceland.

Freedom of speech is among the principals of the Constitution. But that freedom is however not without its boundaries, Pétur writes.

“For example, I am not allowed to publicly comment on my patients’ issues, and comparable impediments of the freedom of speech are in fact numerous. At the same time, it appears that a person who has taken the job of an elementary school teacher has kept his rights to express opinions that go as clearly against the interests of a part of the student body as Snorri’s writing does.”

ÁA