{"id":151569,"date":"2023-03-07T17:10:31","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T16:10:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=151569"},"modified":"2026-01-16T16:59:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T15:59:36","slug":"education-minister-wants-crackdown-on-harassment-of-diversity-officers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2023\/03\/07\/education-minister-wants-crackdown-on-harassment-of-diversity-officers\/","title":{"rendered":"Education minister wants crackdown on harassment of diversity officers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The threats and intimidation faced by diversity officers at higher education institutions are ‘completely unacceptable’, says Minister of Education Robbert Dijkgraaf, responding to parliamentary questions. Later this year, he wants to address the issue again.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEveline Schram<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Universities hire diversity officers to counter discrimination and remove obstacles. However, the changes they pursue are felt by some to be too extreme. These critics, some of whom are MPs, often use the term \u2018woke\u2019 as a disqualifying pejorative to describe diversity officers.<\/p>\n

And this disapproval isn\u2019t just expressed verbally. A journalistic investigation of several higher education media outlets, including Erasmus Magazine, published<\/a> last year revealed that diversity officers not only face verbal abuse but also threats and harassment, online as well as in real life. There have also been instances where their personal data was distributed online without their permission. With their names a matter of public record, even their family members became targets of harassment.<\/p>\n

Disturbing<\/h2>

D66 asked<\/a> parliamentary questions about the results of the investigative journalism. After taking a closer look at the study, Minister of Education Robbert Dijkgraaf replied on Friday that he found the findings disturbing and \u2018completely unacceptable\u2019.<\/p>\n

He then announced a new cabinet approach against \u2018online harassment, racism and hate speech\u2019, to be presented before the end of the year. Details of the plan have yet to be revealed. Dijkgraaf also said that he would sit down with diversity officers to talk about their social safety and referred once again to the WetenschapVeilig<\/a> safety hotline, launched in November of last year. He stressed that higher education staff who are not involved in research can also use this resource to obtain support and advice.<\/p>\n\n\t

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