University College Roosevelt ruled to have unlawfully dismissed two professors

A court in Middelburg has ruled that University College Roosevelt (UCR) was not permitted to dismiss two professors, Jaap Hanekamp and Arjan van Dixhoorn, early last year. The judge determined that the educational institution failed to provide sufficient justification for the terminations.

The court rejected UCR’s arguments regarding a drastic decline in student numbers and financial necessity, noting that the institution used incorrect figures concerning first-year student dropout rates. The judge described the institution's actions as ‘malicious’ (kwalijk), stating that UCR attempted to mislead both the court and the professors.

As a result of the ruling, Arjan van Dixhoorn is to be reinstated at the institution. The court also addressed a separate matter involving professor John Friedman, describing his legal procedure as a ‘hopeless procedure and abuse of procedural law,’ noting that his case must be handled by Belgian authorities.