ZAGREB, July 9, 2020 – Zagreb University Rector Damir Boras on Wednesday suspended the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Vesna Vlahovic-Stetic, a decision that caused strong reactions on Thursday.
Boras’s decision is based on a final ruling by the Zagreb County Court of June 26 which found Vlahovic-Stetic guilty of harassing Vice-Rector Ante Covic, thus harming the dignity of employees in the sphere of communication, social relations and quality of their professional status.
The court ruled that Professor Covic was subjected to harassment by Vlahovic-Stetic from the start of her term in office as dean in November 2017 to 15 November 2018, when his employment contract expired.
Boras said in his decision that Vlahovic-Stetic had also caused financial harm to the Faculty because it now has to pay its former employee HRK 25,000 (€3,300) in damages plus HRK 11,250 (€1,500) in litigation costs.
Minister: Boras, Covic cause huge damage to the system
Commenting on the case, Science and Education Minister Blazenka Divjak said in a Facebook post that academic cliques were destroying the system of science and education and that “the Covic-Boras axis is causing huge damage to the system” as well as that “the University must do better.”
“I respect the University’s autonomy, but I cannot keep silent in situations like this. The University must do better,” said Divjak.
Students and professors at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences on Thursday staged a protest against the rector’s decision.
The suspended dean was also supported by Professor Neven Jovanovic, whose appointment as dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences the University Senate withheld consent in April.
Jovanovic had been nominated to the post by the Faculty Council.
