This article is part of a partnership with OC Media. You can read the original in English here.
Georgian teacher Igor Kekelia has won a lawsuit against a local school in the small Black Sea city of Poti, his lawyer said. The case concerned the teacher’s dismissal following the alleged distribution of materials from his private life. Kekelia claimed that the school administration pressured him to resign voluntarily, and after he refused, accused him of inappropriate behavior toward students and dismissed him on those grounds.
Kekelia’s lawyer, Tornike Migineishvili, said that in a June 19 ruling by the Poti City Court, all school orders regarding Kekelia were overturned. Judge Ekaterine Magradze also ordered the school to pay the teacher back pay and additional compensation, as his position has already been filled by another educator.
According to Migineishvili, the court ruled the dismissal unlawful and “directly linked to the distribution of the intimate video.” The court also established that Kekelia had not exerted psychological pressure on students or committed violence—accusations the school had used as grounds for his dismissal.
“It was a difficult and exhausting struggle that lasted several months, during which repeated attempts were made to pressure both the teacher and me,” Migineishvili added, commenting on the court’s decision. A viral rumor arising around an unseen video
The story began in early December 2025, when 45-year-old Kekelia received a call from the local police. Since 2019, he had been working at School No. 15 in the city of Poti, teaching history, civic education, and the subject “Me and Society.”
When Kekelia arrived at the police station, he was informed that law enforcement had received an anonymous report about the alleged distribution of an intimate video featuring him. Soon, the Poti regional prosecutor’s office joined the case, and the rumor quickly spread through the town of fewer than 40,000 residents. Kekelia himself claims he has never seen the video, and investigators have also stated they do not have it.
After he demanded an investigation, police questioned dozens of witnesses, including social media users who directly or indirectly claimed to have seen the video or heard about it.
However, as Kekelia himself, his lawyer, and local media note, not a single person could be found who would openly confirm that they had actually seen or distributed the recording.
“People understand that not only obtaining, but also possessing or distributing intimate materials is a serious crime. Therefore, even if they did see something, they cannot admit to it,” Kekelia said.
As the rumors spread, various versions emerged in the town: that Kekelia was in the video, but not another person; that the second participant was a man—which sparked speculation about the teacher’s sexual orientation; as well as versions of a possible crime if the second participant was a minor.
The lawyer, Migineishvili, stated that Kekelia categorically denies all allegations and has never had relationships with minors or anyone significantly younger than himself.
He also noted that the defense had provided investigators with screenshots of social media posts alleging the involvement of a minor, asking that their authors be questioned. Later, according to him, those individuals stated they were merely spreading rumors and their own conjectures.
Kekelia says he cannot explain the potential motives behind the spread of these rumors.
He also recounted that on the eve of the call from the police, on his way home from a store, he was attacked by two unidentified individuals: one struck him from behind and fled. The attacker has still not been found. According to the teacher, the investigation was complicated by the fact that a truck parked nearby blocked the view of a security camera.
“It is highly likely related. I cannot prove anything, but I cannot rule it out either,” he noted.
To obtain this status, the video must be found—however, investigators claim they do not have it.
“If you have even a shred of dignity, leave”
“After the rumors about the video emerged, they started pressuring me at school. Parents declared that they did not want their children to be taught by a teacher whose intimate video had allegedly been distributed,” Kekelia said.
According to him, the first noticeable signal was an incident on December 11, when a homeroom teacher, at the request of parents, removed two students from his class. He perceived this as a reaction to the rumors.
Later, protesting parents began coming to the school, and on December 24, Kekelia was summoned to a pedagogical council. There, the deputy principal and colleagues informed him that parents were threatening to transfer their children to other schools if he did not leave teaching.
“One of the teachers stood up and told me: if you have even a shred of dignity, you should put on your hat and leave the school,” Kekelia recalls.
According to him, after he refused to leave voluntarily, the school began receiving written complaints from parents—no longer about the video, but about his behavior: alleging that he exhibited violence, exerted psychological pressure, and discussed topics outside the curriculum with students.
Kekelia claims that in his six years of work, not a single complaint had been filed against him, and that the school’s principal, Nana Sabulua, may have encouraged parents to write statements to create a formal basis for his dismissal.
He also noted that in a school of 500 students, one can always find someone who will sign a complaint against a teacher.
Following his initial dismissal by the disciplinary commission in late December, and its subsequent confirmation by the board of trustees, Kekelia filed a lawsuit. During the proceedings, representatives of the administration, teachers, and parents were questioned.
According to the defense, procedural violations were committed during the dismissal process: the teacher was not provided with the content of the complaints and was not given the opportunity to fully defend himself.
OC Media reached out for comment to the school principal, Nana Sabulua, and her deputy, Tea Khorava. The latter declined to answer, while Sabulua claimed she could not hear the questions and later did not respond to messages.
Earlier, in January, Sabulua had told local media that Kekelia had “many violations” and that the dismissal procedure had been carried out “very correctly.”
Currently, several investigations related to Kekelia are ongoing in Poti: in addition to the case concerning the potential distribution of the intimate video and the prior assault, police are also investigating threats made against him on social media. One person has already been detained in connection with the latter case.
“I didn’t sleep at all for a whole month. I was under intense stress […] constantly thinking about it, even when I was still teaching classes before the dismissal,” Kekelia said.
He added:
“I believe people should not hide this—they should speak out about it, no matter how personal it is, and fight for their truth.”