Sweden:
Lost his job because he plays heavy metal

A school teacher in the small town Västervik was kicked out after only one week's employment because the school found out that he played in a heavy metal band, reported the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation on 24 June 2008.

The school headmaster, Sven Torstensson, did not approve of the song lyrics of the new teacher's heavy metal band – lyrics which, according to the headmaster, were desillutioned and marked by blood, death and appraisal of suicide.

Life is meaningless
The high school is specially focused on students with problems and many of them has a passed marked by failures. "It will be very hard to explain to the parents that we have a teacher who performs lyrics about for exemple 'praise the suicide' and about how life is meaningless", the headmaster says to the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation.

Before the teacher had even started working, he was informed that he was not welcome any more. The sole reason for the rapture of the contract was the lyrics of his heavy metal band. 

Not a proper chance
The chairperson of the the National Association of Teachers pointed out that an important part of a teacher's job is to be able to separate between their personal life and what they teach in school. She tells the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation: "I question the headmaster's actions in this case, because the teacher has the proper education for this job and has gotten the job in due order. He has not done anything wrong in connection with his job. He has not even had a proper chance to show his competence."

The teacher has pressed charges against the headmaster for violating his right to freedom of expression. However, on 27 June, the newsagency TT reported  that the case will not be investigated any further.