European court rejects far-right teacher’s blacklist appeal

BERLIN (AP) — The European Court of Human Rights has rejected a German teacher’s appeal against being blacklisted for her far-right activities because they’re considered incompatible with Germany’s constitution. The woman, who has a long history of involvement with far-right groups, had petitioned the court to order her name removed from a blacklist compiled in 2009 by authorities in the central state of Hesse. The woman said that as a result of the listing all her applications for teaching posts had been unsuccessful and she had been unemployed and living off welfare benefits ever since. In its ruling Tuesday, the Strasbourg-based court found that German authorities hadn’t overstepped the law and the interference with her freedom of expression was “proportionate.”