In an employment dispute with the University of Groningen, social safety expert Susanne Täuber has again lost out. She was allowed to be dismissed, the Court of Appeal ruled.
Täuber criticised the diversity policy at her own university in an article and eventually lost her job. Her dismissal led to protests, petitions and a fundraising campaign for her legal fees.
According to the university, the working relationship was ‘seriously disrupted’ and it was not because of Täuber’s article. In contrast, critics believe that the university is gagging a troublemaker and thus creating a culture of fear.
‘Scientific harassment’
At the subdistrict court, both parties were somewhat vindicated: the working relationship had indeed been disrupted, but the university was said to have played ‘an important, if not decisive role’ in this. Both parties appealed.
According to the Court of Appeal, Täuber’s unwelcome article was not the reason for her dismissal. Although the essay was a link in the ‘chain of events’ that led to the dismissal. “But that chain did not begin with the publication of the essay.”
There had allegedly been an earlier conflict over publication requirements that Täuber did not meet. She accused her supervisor of ‘scientific harassment’ and sexism. In doing so, she blew up the case ‘to extraordinary proportions’, according to the Court of Appeal.
After the publication of the essay in 2019, a lot also happened. According to the judges, Täuber’s attitude was ‘not very cooperative’.
HOP, Bas Belleman
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