ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The principal of a secondary school in Najaf was physically assaulted by a student and his father inside the school premises on Thursday, in an incident that has shocked the Iraqi public and education circles.

Thursday assault comes a month after the student’s father was summoned due to the his son’s misbehavior, and the student signed a pledge not to repeat the offensive behavior, according to a security source who spoke to The New Region.

“The [student’s] misbehavior continued, which prompted the school administration to summon the father again… After an administrative investigation, it was decided to permanently expel the student. However, this morning, during exam period, the student and his father stormed into the school and headed straight to the principal. The situation escalated from verbal abuse to a physical assault that caused bleeding and visible bruises on the principal’s body,” the source, who requested anonymity, added.

The source stated that relevant authorities have begun taking legal action against the attackers.

The Iraqi education ministry in a statement on Thursday announced that Minister Ibrahim Namis al-Jubouri has ordered relevant authorities to follow up on the details of the incident, and to “take the necessary legal measures to hold the perpetrators accountable.”

The minister also directed the authorities to monitor the principal’s health, stressing the need to protect the educational staff and “prevent any violation of their dignity.”

Najaf’s general education directorate condemned the attack, emphasizing its “commitment to the sanctity of schools and their educational staff,” and calling for the provision of security protection.

The directorate said that the principal was in stable condition.