Salendine Nook teacher Leonora Rustamova defends racy novel

Jun 26 2010 By Huddersfield Examiner

A TEACHER who was sacked for writing a racy novel about her pupils will fight to clear her name at a forthcoming employment tribunal.

Leonora Rustamova, from Salendine Nook, said she was begged by a group of teenage boys in her English class to write a book about them.

The 40-year-old ended up getting sacked from Calder High School where she worked, faced bankruptcy and was referred to the safeguarding authority to see whether she should be banned from working with children.

Ms Rustamova, known as Miss Rusty to her pupils, claims the whole thing was blown out of proportion and the school in Mytholmroyd unfairly dismissed her.

She said she will fight to be allowed to teach again and clear her name.

Ms Rustamova was sacked from the school near Hebden Bridge when her book Stop! Don’t Read This was published online.

The senior head of year teacher wrote about her pupils having sexual fantasies about her and said she would do anything for a smile from one of them.

The writing contained the names of real-life pupils and was peppered with swear words as she wrote: "It’s getting harder and harder just to see them as kids."Two characters were said to be sunbathing topless "looking like gorgeous Mr Gay UK finalists in an area of Britain where there is some pretty stiff competition".

As the book goes on, pupils skip lessons, steal mobile phones and set themselves on fire.

At the end the boys reveal to the police a drugs store beneath the school, but some cocaine goes missing before officers arrive.

Ms Rustamova wrote: "I suppose the boys had earned a hell of a ritzy summer holiday".