Sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll at the Radboud University. Last year the Executive Board put three employees of the Radboud Honours Academy on administrative leave after grievances were aired by an anonymous whistle-blower. The trio was accused of alcohol abuse, sex with students and abuse of power. One of the employees filed a lawsuit to challenge his dismissal.
The reasons for the adminstrative leave are primarily based on hearsay, according to the lawsuit that took place on Tuesday. “I was accused of having sex with students and abusing alcohol. This was a false accusation, as soon determined by an independent commission of inquiry, ” the disgruntled employee stated to the court. “But I was silenced by the university for a year and now there’s a chance that I’m fired because of this matter.”
The judge wanted to know what exact accusations the university administration had received that would justify his departure. Wilma de Koning, Vice-Chairman of the Executive Board: “If you had heard what we have heard from the members of the Honours Academy, you’d understand our decision,” she stated. “The stories have made a deep impression on Gerard Meijer (president of the executive board) and me.”
Female employees lived in fear
On November 2014 complaints from a whistle-blower were brought to the attention of the Executive Board. They then appointed a committee to investigate the complaint. Despite the fact that the committee could not find any evidence, the Radboud University do not want to the men to return to their former workplace. “That would damage the continuity of the department,” as the university’s lawyer stated. University newsoutlet Vox wrote that, according to De Koning, the female employees of the Radboud Honours Academy would call in sick out of fear when one of the men would return.
The other two employees whom fallen from grace immediately chose to be reinstated at other departments from the university. The employee who filed the suit, initially refused such a project, but is now willing to co-operate.
Despite the serious accusations it is obviously not a problem for the university to let the men return to the workplace at the university.
The court ruling is expexted on January 12th.
