Katherine Phillips detention incident

Katherine Phillips is an American educator and former vice-principal of the private Al-Bayan Bilingual Middle School in the Gulf State Kuwait.cite web |url=http://www.internationalschoolsreview.com/nonmembers/emergency.htm |title=ISR Lifts Work/Travel Advisory for Kuwait and Kuwaiti Schools |accessdate=2007-07-11 |date=3 July 2007 |year=2007 |month=July |work=International Schools Review |publisher=International Schools Review, inc ] . cite web |url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070630/us_nm/kuwait_usa_teacher_dc_1 |title=U.S. trying to lift Kuwait travel ban on teacher |accessdate=2007-07-11 |date=30 June 2007 |year=2007 |month=June |work=Yahoo News (quoting Reuters) |publisher=Yahoo!] cite web |url=http://www.arabtimesonline.com/client/pagesdetails.asp?nid=2245&ccid=9 |title=US Embassy ‘on it’ after ISR boycott call, father’s appeal for travel-ban daughter who fears for safety |accessdate=2007-07-11 |year=2007 |month=June |work=Arab Times (Kuwait) |quote=“US Embassy Consular staff are in regular contact with the American teacher Katherine Phillips, her attorney and appropriate Kuwaiti authorities to resolve the matter so that Ms Phillips will be free to leave Kuwait as soon as possible,” said James Fennell, Press Attache American Embassy, in a statement to the Arab Times. ] She was detained by Kuwaiti authorities at the request of a Kuwaiti businessman, Fawaz Al Marzouq, who felt that Phillips unjustly disciplined his son when the son was involved in a fight on school grounds.cite web |url=http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=158960&version=1&template_id=37&parent_id=17 |title=Teacher barred from travelling leaves Kuwait |accessdate=2007-07-11 |date=4 july 2007 |work=Gulf Times |publisher=Gulf Publishing & printing Co. |quote=Katherine Phillips said last month she had been refused permission to leave Kuwait after she fell out with the family of a fifth-grade boy she had suspended after a fight.>] This case in particular had caused widespread concern among US overseas educators. On June 13, 2007, Phillips was at the Kuwait International Airport intending to leave the country. She was stopped at immigration where she was informed that there was a case against her, pending further investigation and that a travel ban had been placed on her 15 months after the incident. Says Phillips, "The parent said that he would make this personal and this seems to be what he is intent upon doing."

The case of Katherine Phillips made headlines in the local and international press after the teacher posted on the Internet a letter, asking for help. The incident also sparked comment in many blogs, particularly ones dealing with the issues of westerners residing in the middle east, and ones dealing with overseas educators. [cite web |url=http://www.qatarliving.com/node/22588 |title=Teacher Detained in Kuwait |accessdate=2007-07-12 |work=Quatar Living|date=30 June 2007] [cite web |url=http://eflgeek.com/index.php/eflgeek/comments/kuwait-katherine-phillips/ |date=8 July 2007|title=Kuwait -- Katherine Phillips |accessdate=2007-07-12 |work=EFL Geek ] [cite web |url=http://eltworld.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=246 |title=International educator being detained in Kuwait |accessdate=2007-07-12 |work=Dave's ESL Cafe |date=24 June 2007] [cite web |url=http://www.computernewbie.info/wheatdogg/2007/07/09/katherine-phillips-leaves-kuwait/ |title=Katherine Phillips leaves Kuwait |accessdate=2007-07-12 |work=Wheat-dogg’s world |date=9 July 2007] [cite web |url=http://intlxpatr.wordpress.com/2007/07/03/katherine-phillips-in-her-own-words/ |title=Katherine Phillips In Her Own Words |accessdate=2007-07-12 |work=Here There and Everywhere |date=3 July 2007] [cite web |url=http://lizditz.typepad.com/i_speak_of_dreams/2007/06/helicopter-pare.html |title=Helicopter Parenting: Americans Teaching in Kuwait Imprisoned and/or Threatened; Embassy Does Nothing |accessdate=2007-07-12 |work=I Speak of Dreams |date=28 June 2007] [cite web |url=http://digg.com/world_news/Expat_Teacher_Stuck_in_Kuwait_for_Suspending_a_Student |title=Expat Teacher Stuck in Kuwait for Suspending a Student |accessdate=2007-07-12 |work=Digg.com |date=27 June 2007] [cite web |url=http://www.248am.com/mark/information/american-teacher-stuck-in-kuwait/ |title=American teacher stuck in Kuwait |accessdate=2007-07-12 |work=Two Forty-Eight AM |date=26 June 2007]

The U.S. embassy in Kuwait confirmed in a statement a travel ban had been imposed on her, adding its consular section was in contact with the authorities to help Phillips leave Kuwait as soon as possible.

On Tuesday, 03 July, 2007, due to the efforts of Al Bayan Bilingual School management, Kuwaiti legal counsel and the Kuwait Human Rights Society the situation regarding Phillips was resolved, and she was allowed to leave the country.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSL3023267620070630 Reuters]
* [http://www.arabtimesonline.com/client/pagesdetails.asp?nid=2245&ccid=9 The Arab Times]
* [http://www.internationalschoolsreview.com/nonmembers/emergency.htm International Schools Review]
* [http://www.arabtimesonline.com/client/faqdetails.asp?faid=236&faqid=1 Published letter to the Arab Times]
* [http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/source/XXX/106/images/page1.pdf Front page of "Gulf Daily News (Bahrain)" (PDF)] for 4 July 2007 -- showing story lower right