Krishnagar, Aug. 18: The he-ad of a girls’ high school in Nadia’s Haringhata was suspended today for not allowing male members of its managing committee to enter the premises during class hours.

The committee had served a showcause on Krishna Bhowmik in January. She refused to reply, sticking to her guns that there should be no exception to rules for members of the school management.

In October, the headmistress was instrumental in framing the rule that no men would be allowed on the Rajlakshmi Kanya Vidyapith campus till classes give over at 4.30 pm.

The decision was taken following threat calls to the school in which unknown people threatened to kidnap some of the students.

Four days after Bhowmik issued the order, the president of the managing committee, Haripada Sil, and secretary Sanjay Chatterjee went to the school, 45 km from Calcutta, around noon and found the main entrance locked. When they asked the guard to open the gate, he refused.

They sent word to Bhowmik but she said the rule was applicable to all men.

“We felt insulted,” Chatterjee said. “Can you imagine what kind of an autocratic headmistress she is? We went to see how the school was functioning, but we were not allowed inside. She asked us to come after school hours.”

Sil accused the headmistress of not allowing his committee to “work properly”.

“We waited for months for her reply and then suspended her,” he added.

But a majority of the teachers rallied behind the disciplinarian headmistress.

As the news of Bhowmik’s suspension spread, most of the 32 teachers boycotted classes and asked the 1,200 odd students to protest.

“The secretary and the president must realise that it was under the strict administration of our headmistress that the school was doing so well in Madhyamik. She brought about strict discipline among students and teachers. The managing committee cannot interfere in the school’s day-to-day administration,” said Rupali Bhattacharya, who teaches philosophy.

Bhowmik said she was compelled to restrict men’s entry into the premises.

“Guardians expressed anxiety after the threat calls came. For some time last October, policemen were deployed in front of the institution. The president and the secretary were informed about the decision. Why should I break the rule for them?” she asked.

The Nadia school administration today described the situation as “unfortunate”. Additional inspector of schools (secondary) Rabindranath Dey said: “The committee should have informed us before suspending the headmistress.”

A report has been sent to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, Dey added.