Brazilian Court Overturns UFSC Doctoral Research Suspension

The Tribunal de Justiça de Santa Catarina annulled the suspension of a doctoral student's research at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). The court ruled that the university subjected the researcher to an “inquisitorial” process by refusing to provide the documents that formed the basis of transphobia accusations, thereby violating her right to a full defense. The doctoral candidate, founder of the Movimento Infância Plena and the association Matria, argued that the complaints stemmed from public statements made outside the university. The decision noted that a report from the university’s Human Research Ethics Committee, used to justify halting the study, had never been presented to the researcher during the administrative proceeding, and she was given only two days to respond. The Federal Public Ministry also criticized UFSC, stating that the national education law does not permit institutions to monitor students’ opinions or actions outside the academic setting and identified signs of “evidence fishing” in the university’s actions.