A hearing was held in the appellate instance of the Almaty City Court regarding the case of teacher Saulle Seidakhmetova from school No. 67. The company Rai-Ka, which had provided catering at this school for many years, accused the teacher of disseminating false and reputation-damaging information.
To recall, in January, footage spread on social media showing canteen staff collecting leftover food, packaging it, and freezing it to serve to children again the following day.
According to ORDA, Seidakhmetova was a member of the culling commission and had repeatedly recorded discrepancies in the menu. Furthermore, remnants of other meals were found in the food, and waste would go missing. After obtaining footage from the canteen cameras, she handed it over for inspection.
The inspection confirmed the violations, the contract with Rai-Ka was terminated, and the school principal was given a formal reprimand. However, Seidakhmetova subsequently reported harassment from the administration, a reduction in her salary, attempts to initiate her dismissal, and threats.
According to the teacher, the pressure also extended to senior pupils who had previously supported her. Their parents sent a collective letter demanding Seidakhmetova's dismissal.
The teacher claims the letter was written under duress, and that the pupils were intimidated by a police officer. Despite this, some pupils secretly apologised to the teacher and admitted they had been forced.
In spring 2025, the Turksib District Court ordered Seidakhmetova to delete the video, publish an apology, and pay 550,000 tenge in legal costs.
However, the situation changed at the appellate instance. Lawyers pointed out errors in the case: the teacher did not film the video herself but used footage from the cameras. At the same time, the plaintiff did not deny that the people in the footage were company employees. Representatives of Rai-Ka also gave contradictory testimony regarding the reasons for the contract's termination. Ultimately, the appellate panel overturned the first-instance decision and dismissed the claim.
For his part, the Minister of Education, Gani Beisembayev, had previously publicly supported the teacher, noting that the supplier bears responsibility for the quality of school meals and that oversight would be strengthened.
"A corresponding legislative act has been adopted. If previously the culling commission could check the quality of food only once a month, it can now do so daily. If previously there were no regional monitoring groups, we have now given such powers to local executive bodies, in particular, the education department. All relevant bodies — the prosecutor's office, the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service — have taken control of the food quality issue. These services must necessarily check the quality of food in school organisations," the statement reads.
The story of Saule Seidakhmetova showed that publicising violations and taking a principled stance can turn the tide of a court case. The victory on appeal restored the teacher's reputation and drew attention to the problems of school meals, leading to legislative changes and increased oversight.