WATCH: Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke teacher: My life is being destroyed

She was suspended by the Department of Education in North West after a photo emerged, showing black children separated from white children when schools reopened on Wednesday.

The photo subsequently went viral on social media. 

Solidarity has appointed a legal team that will represent Barkhuizen. 

"Last week my world changed. A photograph I took of a class full of happy, smiling children on their first day of school was used by opportunists against my children, against me, and against my school. Unsure Grade R learners on their first day at school were mercilessly exploited by these people - a day which should have been exciting. The result – traumatised children crying and looking at me for consolation and me trying to calm them down while my life is being destroyed," said an emotional Barkhuizen. 

Solidarity CEO Dirk Hermann said they believe the suspension is unlawful.  

"We heard in the media the context of segregation, we read commentaries about her and her suspension, we also heard political parties calling for her suspension and that she be replaced by a black teacher. But nobody up to today has explained to her why she was suspended. The school governing body has not given her anything of substance regarding her suspension." 

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Hermann says Barkhuizen, who is employed through an appointment by the School Governing Body, received a phone call on Friday from the school principal informing her that she had been suspended on full pay. 

 Solidarity has written to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to investigate the actions of the North West Education MEC Sello Lehari and political party leaders.

"The application will proceed with a defamation action suit against the MEC and the department of the education department and other parties involved. They set the dominant narrative that Elana is racist and they have to be held accountable. There is no doubt that Elana's name and reputation have been tarnished and that we shall be successful in such an application. It seems to be a norm these days that when there is an unproven incident, it is selectively perceived that the white person is racist and politicians further this person is racist and this will stop with Elana," said Solidarity's Anton van der Bijl.

 An investigation is still underway, as the class in question was not Barkhuizen's. 

Hermann said the children were separated because the black pupils are only able to speak in English and to ease them during introductions. The teacher went on to integrate them at a later stage.