Religious education teacher at Wimbledon’s Ursuline High School suspended after saying Hamas ‘didn’t commit a crime’

Campaign group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) wrote to Mr Kelly on April 29, attaching screenshots of Mr Preastuin’s social media activity.

Its director, Caroline Turner, called for an urgent investigation and claimed Mr Preastuin was “an extremely dangerous person”.

She said: “We are extremely concerned that one of your teachers, Ronan Preastuin, has posted messages on social media extolling and extolling the virtues of the Hamas terrorist group, in breach of UK anti-terrorism law…”

“We find out that he is a religion teacher and a tutor for the 9th grade at your school. We believe he has an extremely dangerous influence on the children of Ursuline High School as an open supporter of terrorists.

“Mr Preastuin’s open support for a terrorist group is particularly egregious given his work as a religion teacher and Grade 9 tutor at your school.

“As a teacher who has authority over his students, he is likely to influence his students and possibly encourage them to follow his own illegal beliefs, as well as incite racial hatred against Jews and Israelis.”

On the same day, Mr Kelly responded and thanked UKLFI for bringing “this extremely worrying allegation” to his attention.

He said: “We can confirm that the employee has been suspended from work and I personally notified the police immediately upon receiving this disclosure.”

Mr Kelly said police had confirmed to him that officers were investigating and that the school had launched an internal investigation.

He added: “As this is a legal process, we cannot comment further until all investigations are completed.”

“I’m pleased that the school acted quickly”

Mr. Preastuin’s posts were first published on the GnasherJew website on April 23, 2024, and a few hours later Mr. Preastuin removed his account on X, formerly Twitter.

Among his other posts, he wrote: “So yes, October 7th was a justified act of resistance under a brutal and devastating occupation.”

On January 25, 2024, he posted: “I am pleased to assure you monsters that Hamas has committed no crime, IsraeliIreland.” Their actions were entirely legitimate resistance to a criminal state masquerading as Jewish and colonizing their land .”

On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants stormed Israel, killing around 1,200 people and bringing more than 250 others back to Gaza as hostages.

In response, Israel launched an airstrike in Gaza, followed by a ground invasion.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.

A UKLFI spokesperson said: “We are pleased that the school has taken swift action in this worrying case.”

The Metropolitan Police have been contacted for comment.