A study conducted by the National Observatory of Violence Against Educators (ONVE), affiliated with the Federal University of Fluminense (UFF), found that at least 90% of public and private teachers across Brazil suffered, witnessed or knew about censorship in the classroom from 2010 to 2024.
The data comes from the report “Violence Against Educators as a Threat to Democratic Education,” which was created from data collected from 3,012 educators across the country from May to September 2024.
The survey found that 71% of educators say their professional lives have been moderately, largely, or extremely affected by censorship or persecution, and 62% report that their personal lives have been affected to the same extent.
“To this day, I live in fear of walking down the street, of being recognized, of being attacked,” says Juliana Andosio, a teaching counselor in Florianopolis, South Carolina.
She was targeted in 2022 for allowing trans students to use women’s restrooms based on their gender identity. A hate campaign began on social media. “The next day they started attacking me, and some members of Congress started amplifying these distortions on social media and even in public.”
The educational counselor was publicly accused of “indoctrination,” “gender ideology,” and even “perversion,” and violence escalated to the point where screaming parents stormed the school. The threats escalated into physical violence, and on April 28 this year, fireworks were set off inside the school grounds and at cars in the parking lot, and trash was thrown over the bars. A few days later, they threw rocks at her and other teachers’ cars, and the counselor was escorted out of the school by police. According to Juliana, the education unit did not support her.
The impact on Juliana’s life reflects the anguish of thousands of teachers interviewed for the ONVE report. 45% of educators say they feel constantly monitored and think twice about what they say in class. The inclusion and citizenship projects she developed with her students were paralyzed.
His decision to remove content in the classroom is in line with the 25% of participants who declared that they took such steps after suffering or witnessing acts of censorship, highlighting the process of self-censorship.
Among respondents who reported having had direct and/or indirect experience with censorship and feeling affected by it, 50% felt uncomfortable in the work environment, 18% had already had to change institutions, and 3% had effectively decided not to remain in the teaching profession.
The tense daily life at Escola do Muquem culminated in the physical assault of art teacher Andrei Pereira Dorneles in front of the facility in June 2025. Dorneles claims he received death threats and was later attacked by someone who advocates for the school’s militia-style conversion, which Dorneles opposes. In addition to the attack, he was the target of a hate campaign on social media.
This physical violence occurred after a period of intense pressure. A school administrator, currently on administrative leave, questioned teachers about their use of inclusive language in class and union activity. When contacted in response to the report, the Department of Education of the State of Santa Catarina (SED-SC) did not respond to questions regarding the attacks on the teachers.
Data from the ONVE survey shows that harassment and surveillance are impacting education at all levels, with censorship spiking in election years, particularly 2018 and 2022. Bans or recommendations to avoid topics considered “controversial” were the main form of attack, with 73% of situations related to political issues, 53% to gender and sexuality, 48% to religious issues, 41% to scientific denialism, and 30% to ethnic/racial issues.
Fernando Penna, a professor at the University of California School of Education and one of the study’s authors, emphasizes that this data reveals that violence against educators is directly related to the broader political context.
Fifty-eight percent of educators who have experienced censorship situations first-hand reported attempted intimidation, 41% faced aggressive interrogation about how to do their job, and 35% faced a ban on explicit content.
For Pena, the level of violence has a significant impact on a young person’s education. “Even teachers who are not direct victims of violence are beginning to work in fear and stop engaging with the topics they know are essential to educating their students,” he said.
The study points out that the main agents of censorship and persecution are those within the educational community. The report sought comment on the investigation from the Ministry of Education (MEC) through its press office, sending questions and requesting interviews with representatives of the ministry, but no response was received by the time of publication.
This report is a product of the Institute for Education, Culture, and Data Journalism. sheet and by Fundação Itaú in October 2025.
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