Cambridge School Director Fined for Gender Theory Post

A court in St. Petersburg has fined Rima Khazibekov, director of the Cambridge International School, finding him guilty of disseminating propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations.

The conflict arose from a 2018 publication that Khazibekov made after an educational conference in Finland. In the post, he discussed a speaker«s presentation on gender theory and referenced research.

The director«s defense strongly disagrees with the accusation. Lawyers point out that the expert brought by the prosecution is a political scientist studying Yugoslavia, not a linguist, and his conclusion lacks a research section, screenshots, or a link to the original post.

According to the defense, the expert analysis ignored phrases such as «according to the opinion of gender theory supporters,» and the controversial words were presented as Khazibekov«s personal opinion.

The lawyers asked the court to postpone the hearing until receiving a conclusion from a linguist expert, but the court refused.

Khazibekov stated that the text was purely informative and contained no propaganda. He also noted that he has three children, does not support the theory of «58 genders,» and considers teaching his mission.

The director suggested that police interest in his old publications might have been prompted by a dispute with the school building«s owner. After hearing the arguments, the court delivered a guilty verdict without a break and imposed a fine of 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,100 at current rates).

Khazibekov«s case is being considered against the backdrop of a lawsuit over the school building on Mebelnaya Street, which is a copy of the Vorontsov Palace. The lease agreement was terminated by the owner Technopark Buran, but the school has not yet been evicted due to court injunctions.

The owner has filed a new lawsuit to recover nearly 70 million rubles (approximately $770,000 at current rates) for four months of using the premises. Earlier publications suggested possible foreign influence related to the school, but there is no official confirmation.

The Cambridge International School has several campuses in different cities. Tuition at the St. Petersburg branch costs about 2 million rubles per year (approximately $22,000 at current rates). Information about a possible relocation or closure of the school is not disclosed, and contact phones are not answered.