Welcome to Broumana High School: Where Mothers Don’t Matter
At BHS, Patriarchy Graduates with Honors
“Here’s a picture of my son Karam on his first day of school, a picture that doesn’t exist.”
This is what the late feminist activist Nadine Jouni posted on October 3, 2019, as another school year began without her son by her side.
Her son, Karam, was not only deprived of his mother’s embrace by the Jaafariya Court but also denied the right to experience school with her involvement, an exclusion enforced by his ‘legal guardians,’ her ex-husband and his family.
Nadine’s story is not unique. She was one of many Lebanese mothers subjected to systematic marginalization within institutions that strip mothers of their rights, even in spaces meant to nurture and educate. And she will not be the last. The system’s structures perpetuate this injustice, with “educational” institutions complicit in reinforcing patriarchal norms.
Finance and Administration Director Raymond Fghali, BHS has a clear policy: “We have nothing to do with the mother”
Broumana High School: ‘We Have Nothing to Do with the Mother’
If you are a divorced or separated mother—or, worse still, a woman who dares to challenge patriarchal norms through legal disputes—Broumana High School (BHS) may not respect your role as a parent or prioritize the welfare of your child.
According to Finance and Administration Director Raymond Fghali, BHS has a clear policy: “We have nothing to do with the mother” in cases of separation. The school opts to maintain its legal relationship solely with the father, whom it considers the default guardian with the “compulsory right” to make decisions about the child’s education.
This stance effectively excludes divorced mothers from decision-making regarding their children’s education. It is a direct consequence of patriarchal, sectarian personal status laws that regulate women’s lives and turn children into instruments of control, used to discipline women who dare to break free from abusive or restrictive environments.
Faced with such policies, many women encounter institutions that act as unthinking extensions of male authority—obeying directives that are often vindictive and intended to tighten patriarchy’s grip on women. In these scenarios, schools like Broumana High School, whether intentionally or out of indifference, become enforcers of systemic gender-based oppression.
Patriarchal Stubbornness, Backed by ‘Educational’ Compliance
In a case monitored by Sharika Wa Laken, Broumana High School’s administration effectively stripped a mother of her parental rights because her “crime” was seeking a divorce from her husband.
The mother, who had already been embroiled in a two-year legal battle to secure custody of her child, won a court decision from the Jaafariya Court granting her custody until her daughter turned seven. However, this ruling did not shield her from her ex-husband’s relentless vindictiveness. He used his legal guardianship to undermine her at every turn, weaponizing their child as a tool of retaliation.
One of the most recent blows came during the process of enrolling their child in school. Despite agreeing verbally before a Jaafariya judge to enroll their daughter in a school near the mother’s home, the father later reneged. After the mother had already registered their child, paid the necessary fees, and obtained confirmation of enrollment, the father unilaterally decided to enroll their daughter in Broumana High School instead. His decision ignored both the distance from the mother’s home and the potential harm this arrangement would cause to the child’s well-being.
Broumana High School accepted the father’s decision without consulting the mother or acknowledging her custodial rights. When the mother learned of this, she promptly wrote to the school on September 19, 2024, explaining her legal status and providing a copy of the custody decision. She highlighted the logistical challenges of sending a young child to a school far from her home and reiterated that her daughter was already enrolled elsewhere. Despite her nearly weekly follow-ups, the school’s administration refused to cooperate or even respond to her correspondence.
The School’s Response: ‘Why Should We Talk to the Mother?’
The mother’s request for updates and involvement in her daughter’s educational journey was dismissed outright. Instead, the school’s justification for its exclusionary practices revealed a deeply ingrained patriarchal bias. In response to inquiries from Sharika Wa Laken, Raymond Fghali stated: “In normal cases, I speak to both parents, but when a father with a court order comes to us, I don’t ask about the mother. We have nothing to do with her.”
When pressed further about the school’s failure to respond to the mother’s official email for over three months, Fghali doubled down: “On what grounds do we want to talk to the mother?” and “If you want any information about your child, contact your ex-husband.”
The school’s treatment of the mother went beyond neglect—it escalated to intimidation. When the mother expressed her intent to escalate the matter to the Ministry of Education or publicly expose the school’s bias, she was met with threats. According to documented communications, the school warned her: “If you go to the Ministry of Education or talk publicly about this issue, we will sue you for speaking out.”
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Institutional Bias and Favoritism
The school’s bias was further demonstrated in its leniency toward the father. While the Ministry of Education typically enforces strict deadlines for school enrollment, BHS extended these deadlines repeatedly to accommodate the father’s delays. Over three months passed, during which the child did not attend school, a situation that should have resulted in forfeiture of the child’s seat. Yet, the school continued to hold the spot for her, favoring the father’s wishes over the child’s right to education.
When questioned about this preferential treatment, the school cited the “exceptional circumstances” caused by the ongoing war. However, even after the Ministry of Education mandated a return to in-person learning on November 11, 2024, BHS continued to accommodate the father’s delays, raising serious questions about its priorities and accountability.
The Broader Impact of Patriarchy on Mothers and Children
This case is not an isolated incident but rather a glaring example of how patriarchal systems operate at multiple levels to oppress women. From family courts to educational institutions, divorced and separated mothers are systematically stripped of their rights and subjected to retribution for seeking autonomy.
Broumana High School’s message to such mothers is clear: Your motherhood is invisible. You have no right to information about your children’s education, health, or well-being. Even if you are the custodial parent, your role will be disregarded, and your concerns ignored. And should you dare to challenge this injustice, you will face threats and legal intimidation.
This institutional complicity echoes the experiences of countless mothers who, like Nadine Jouni, have been marginalized and silenced. Nadine’s fight, and her tragic death, remain emblematic of the struggles faced by women navigating a system that seeks to control and punish them for asserting their rights.
A Call for Accountability
The time has come for educational institutions and the Ministry of Education to confront their role in perpetuating these injustices. Schools must prioritize the well-being of children and respect the rights of both parents, particularly custodial mothers who are often marginalized by patriarchal court rulings. The Ministry of Education must also enforce stricter oversight to ensure that no child’s education is compromised by institutional bias or parental vindictiveness.
Returning to Nadine Jouni’s poignant words: “We are disadvantaged because we are mothers.” Her statement is a powerful reminder of the systemic oppression faced by women and the urgent need for reform. Until these structures are dismantled, mothers will continue to fight: for their children, for their rights, and for a future where justice prevails.
