A nursery teacher has been sacked by her school after it came to light she was selling raunchy pictures online – and a pupil’s mum found her husband buying the racy snaps. Elena Maraga, 29, was outed as a model on OnlyFans by a parent who recognised her online and then told other parents via a WhatsApp group chat and Facebook
Elena was subsequently put on leave from her job, near Treviso in Italy, after the school said that her extra-curricular activities do not align with the religious values of the institution. She said she started the racy account as she only earns around €1,200 (£1,000) a month from her day job – a wage she described as ‘unsustainable’ by itself.
The controversy came to light after the father of one of her pupils allegedly bought photos from her OnlyFans account. But Elena claims the man’s wife only found out about her side hustle after he distributed the pictures to a football group, according to A2. She said: “The father of one of my students bought my photos and distributed them to the football group.
“Then his wife found out. I like myself, I turned my passion for my body into a way to earn income.” She added: “I don’t understand what the problem is. Living on 1,200 euros a month is tiring, that’s why I opened it.”
Despite a group of 30 parents signing a petition for her to keep her job, and a trade union also refusing to pass her dismissal, she was officially sacked from her job on Tuesday. She said: “They sent me a letter saying I was fired for inappropriate behaviour because the relationship of trust has been damaged.
“I find it 100% unfair.” According to ANSA, the nursery said her contract would be terminated “for just cause with immediate effect.” The school said her account “contrasts with the Catholic inspiration that guides the educational direction of the school”.
But Elena has now hit back at the way they handled her dismissal, saying: “They attacked me, saying I was seeking media attention. Taking compromising photos has never compromised my professionalism at work.
“The school has never wanted to talk to me, they have always acted with letters and have never wanted dialogue. I am surprised that a Catholic school that preaches morality treats an employee in this way.”
Now, according to The Telegraph, the Italian education ministry says it intends to draw up a new code of ethics to prevent teachers appearing on adult sites.
But Elena told Italian media publication Il Messaggero that she has a degree in Educational Sciences and that she had been working in a Catholic nursery for five years. She said: “I love being a nursery school teacher, it was my vocation since I was a child.” She also told how “on one day I get a month’s salary”.
She also added that, although some school parents are against what she does, others fully support her. “I still live with my parents. [Joining OnlyFans] was a test: I posted a few photos and the profile exploded.
“I think it was a mother or father of one of my students [who exposed Elena]. They recognised me thanks to my profile photo. The matter became public knowledge on Facebook groups for mothers…. but there are some mothers who want to support me. They want me to continue teaching their children.”
While Elena, who is also a bodybuilder that has competed and won various competitions, loves being a teacher, she feels it is something she will not go back to. Despite her school experience, Elena has already begun studying for a new role as a personal trainer and says the world of personal training is more open minded.
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