Investigation Launched After Islamophobia Accusations Against Sciences Po Grenoble Professors

Klaus K., a German professor at the IEP of Grenoble for 25 years and Vincent T., a lecturer in political science, are both targeted by the posting of the posters and accused of Islamophobia. The Grenoble public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation "for public insult towards a private individual by speech, writing, image or means of electronic communication to the public [...], and slight damage or deterioration of property intended for public utility or decoration by inscription, sign or drawing." The procedure follows "the reporting of the direction" of the IEP, on Friday, the day after the posting of these posters at the entrance of the establishment, as specified in a press release from the Grenoble public prosecutor, Éric Vaillant.

On BFMTV, Klaus K. denounced a campaign led by "extremist students". According to him, it all started with the setting up of an informal working group to prepare the "Equality and Anti-Discrimination Week" at the end of November 2020. "I had signed up to prepare a thematic day under the title: racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism," he recounts. "I disputed in the discussion with my students this alignment of these three terms in a single theme." Subsequently, his colleague, a member of the PACTE social science research laboratory, "excluded him from the working group, because the students said they were hurt" by his words, he added. Since then, he has been on "sick leave" and has hired a lawyer to decide on the legal follow-up.

Vincent T., a lecturer in political science, is the second professor targeted by the poster. His non-compulsory course entitled: "Islam and Muslims in Contemporary France" is criticized. The Sciences Po Grenoble Union "wishes to remove" this course "from the educational programs for next year if Islamophobic remarks were given as scientific" during this course. Annoyed, he asked in an email to his students who are members of the union "to leave his classes immediately and never set foot in them again." "I do not deny that my course includes a critical approach to Islamism. [...] But the problem is not in the definition problems: it is in the use of labels which, today, we know, can kill," he explained to Marianne.