HE UB Vice Rector Jordi Matas, The man accused of sexually harassing a student in 2016 eventually resigned. Two days after some of the sexually explicit emails were published, the university, which initially closed ranks by stating that the case was archived in 2017 without any allegations from the parties, announced this afternoon that the professor had resigned from his “management responsibilities at the company”. orders to initiate legal actions it deems appropriate in defense of its honor, without institutional restrictions.”
more than once this morning hundreds of teachers between University of Barcelona (UB) had signed a letter addressed to the rector Joan Guàrdia, requesting the “precautionary dismissal” of Matas.
The case, which appeared in the press this Monday, shows how a student in 2017 He stated that he was a teacher — the person who had to tutor her senior project — sent her suggestive messages and insisted on seeing her outside of class. The commission analyzed the case and closed it “without arguments from either party.” In fact, the research was conducted before the MeToo explosion and the new perspective on sexual violence that this movement spurred. The relationship between the teacher and the student, whose evaluation depends on the teacher, is problematic in itself, beyond consent. Asymmetry and inequality in power relations.
Teachers who are currently signatories claimed: “zero tolerance for sexual harassment I condemn the abandonment of the case, saying “sex discrimination and gender discrimination at the university” evidence the implementation of protocols current and what the current government team is working on flag during campaign For internal rectorate elections.
Teachers also asked for “one” to be opened independent investigation “About the facts reported by this student” and termination professor’s precaution while the investigation was being carried out”, while claiming “comprehensively review evaluation processes “Evaluation of harassment cases with the guarantee of independence of the analysis from the Rectorate and the university hierarchy”.
They also express their “solidarity with all victims of sexual harassment and gender discrimination” and remind that “it is the responsibility of the entire society, including the university, to protect victims and investigate complaints transparently.”
increased pressure
pressure about the case coming back can’t breathe. The publication of the case by eldiario.es and the allegedly sexual messages created a storm at the university. According to the information obtained, the professor sent him messages about the court.”I dreamed of you again today, we had a great time” and when the student didn’t seem to want to go any further, he devoted himself to following him through college. According to the information obtained, he asked for help from the people around him and once managed to escape from the teacher’s hands through the classroom window. The student also reported that during one of their encounters, he “caressed her legs, arms, and hands.” A team of three people investigated the complaint and filed a form of reprimand against the teacher.
After the case emerged, a protest It was also requested on Tuesday Resignation or dismissal of the vice rector, and the rector’s team Joan Guàrdia “Covering up the attacker”.
It is true that the investigation and subsequent filing of the events was carried out by the team of the previous rector, Joan Elias. However, the current rector, who did not include Matas in his candidacy, appointed him as vice rector for Institutional Relations, Communication and Language Policy a few months after his election. According to testimony, he was aware of the complaint, as the Vice-Chancellor’s Equality Office explained to this newspaper; this contradicted his pledge to have “zero tolerance” for sexual harassment and to “reopen as many cases as necessary.” In the university MeToo report that exposed violence in Catalan and Spanish academia.
The increase in voltage due to the reactions also contributed to this situation. Dean of the UB Faculty of LawHe published a statement claiming thatAssuming individual and collective responsibilities”For the management of the case. This organization “regrets” that the “lack of an adequate protocol” at the time the complaint was made meant there was a “re-victimisation effect”. The matter reached Parliament, where the Comuns group recorded a series of questions addressed to the Government.