University of São Paulo annuls professor competition over judicial recommendation letters

The University of São Paulo (USP) Law Faculty has annulled a competition for a professor position following controversy regarding recommendation letters provided by the winning candidate, Rafael Campos Soares da Fonseca. The candidate, who is the son of Superior Court of Justice (STJ) Minister Reynaldo Soares da Fonseca, included letters of recommendation from several high-ranking authorities in his academic memorial.

Signatories included Supreme Federal Court (STF) ministers André Mendonça, Dias Toffoli, Edson Fachin, and Gilmar Mendes, as well as STJ ministers Ribeiro Dantas and Gurgel de Faria, and Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet. A competitor challenged the result, arguing that the prestige of these judicial authorities violated the principles of impersonality and equal opportunity.

An administrative review concluded that the presence of these letters undermined objective judgment. In response, Fonseca's defense maintains that the letters were submitted spontaneously to attest to his professional trajectory and were not intended to influence the examining board. The defense has announced intentions to appeal the decision through the Law Faculty's Congregation and potentially the University Council.