Sexual harassment: Göttingen professor loses salary of 2,000 euros!

Sexual harassment: Göttingen professor loses salary of 2,000 euros!

A not exactly pleasant verdict for a professor at the University of Göttingen: The Lüneburg Higher Administrative Court (OVG) has decided that he will have less money in his pocket in the future due to a serious breach of his civil service obligations. According to [ndr], on June 30, 2025, the court announced that the scientist, who was appointed for life in 2011, would be demoted by two grades for five years; This results in a monthly salary loss of around 2,000 euros. The Göttingen Administrative Court had previously made a corresponding judgment in October 2023.

What exactly had happened? In the eyes of the court, the professor was not exactly exemplary for years: he is said to have sexually harassed several female students, doctoral candidates and employees. A total of 44 individual allegations were made, and sexual harassment was proven in nine cases. The court found that the professor shamelessly exploited his position of power to put young female scientists in an unpleasant position.

Path to demotion

As the history shows, the path to this verdict was anything but short and uncomplicated. The first indications of inappropriate behavior emerged as early as 2012, which led to official discussions. However, these had no lasting effect because the professor's behavior did not change. In 2017 he was finally banned from official business and banned from entering the building. In 2018, the university filed a disciplinary complaint with the aim of removing him from his civil service position.

What is particularly noteworthy is that the Higher Administrative Court did not impose the highest penalty despite the serious allegations and the long duration of the proceedings of eight years. The court argued that the lack of a written warning and the long duration of the procedure played a role. Nevertheless: The decisions that were made as part of the disciplinary procedure are clear. The court found clear misconduct that cannot be tolerated.

The legal background and consequences

The professor's situation is not just an isolated case. According to [database.nwb.de], civil servants and public employees can expect significant disciplinary consequences for serious sexual offenses, even if they were committed in their free time. This means that a disciplinary action like the one taken here for the professor can have far-reaching consequences for his career. As soon as the employer becomes aware of criminal allegations, disciplinary proceedings are often initiated even before a criminal conviction occurs.

In the case of the professor, it is clear: his behavior not only damaged his professional reputation, but could ultimately cost him his existence as a civil servant. The loss of trustworthiness and reliability in public should not be underestimated here, as [defense-sexual criminal law] also emphasizes. This shows how seriously public service institutions respond to such incidents in order to maintain the public's trust in their officials.

It remains to be seen how the case will develop in public and academic terms, and whether the judgment can ultimately be enforced with the aim of removing him from civil service status. One thing is certain, however: the consequences for inappropriate behavior in professional life are currently stricter than ever, and defending yourself against such attacks is taken extremely seriously.