Zagreb medical professor loses job over inappropriate student messages

A prominent doctor and adjunct professor at the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Medicine has lost his position following reports of inappropriate messages sent to a student. The Faculty of Medicine terminated his contract in early summer 2024, denying him severance pay.

The professor attempted to contest the dismissal in court, arguing that the termination was unlawful because he had not received a prior written warning. He claimed that the inappropriate communications were actually sent by his wife rather than himself, a claim his wife supported during legal proceedings.

However, the court rejected these defenses. The Faculty of Medicine noted that the professor had been previously warned by the dean four to five years ago regarding three separate complaints from students involving sexually connoted comments. The court also found inconsistencies in the wife's testimony, specifically citing a photograph of a wine bottle where a man's reflection was visible, undermining the credibility of the claim that she was the sole sender of the messages.