Uerj ordered to pay increased compensation to students following racial discrimination ruling

The Court of Justice of Rio de Janeiro has increased the individual compensation for three Black students to R$ 35,000 each, following a ruling of institutional racism at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (Uerj). The case stems from a selection process for a health residency program where exam proctors required the female candidates to tie back their hair—a requirement not stated in the official guidelines and not imposed on other participants.

Judge Luiz Alberto Carvalho Alves characterized the incident as “indirect discrimination and institutional racism,” describing the treatment as unequal and vexatious. While an initial ruling had set compensation at R$ 20,000 per person, the victims appealed, leading to the higher amount. The court noted that the university had previously acknowledged the error and dismissed the involved proctors.

Sociologist Lara Miranda, a researcher at Cebrap, noted that the incident reflects a failure of institutions to provide adequate service to Black individuals and highlights the policing of Black bodies through arbitrary aesthetic criteria. The university had also annulled the specific selection process due to the violation of the principle of equality.