French University Sparks Controversy with ’Radicalization Signals’ Checklist

The President of the University of Cergy-Pontoise, François Germinet, admits "a clumsiness" and apologizes for the image that such a form conveys of the university.

Indeed, according to LeParisien.fr, the 1,800 employees of the university received, in the early afternoon, an email with an Excel file form to report weak signals of radicalization.

These include absences at the time of Friday prayers, the cessation of alcohol consumption, as well as clothing or "beardless" appearance, according to the form relayed on Twitter by Clément Carbonnier, a professor at the University of Cergy. He explained that he had this kind of reflex after receiving the email. For him, this is unacceptable.

Faced with the outrage messages on the web, the president of the university explained that the official took the initiative himself "following the knife attack at the police headquarters."

"I don’t blame him. He thought he was doing well because many people come to see him to ask him what to do if they witness such behavior," confides François Germinet, while publicly apologizing to the people who were offended.