The Supervisory Board would like to take this opportunity to elaborate on the background of the incident.
On 31 August 2018, the then supervisory body of Radboud University (the Foundation Board) received a complaint about the Rector Magnificus. The complaint concerned two remarks made by the Rector Magnificus during a brief conversation with a staff member at a public University event on 12 January 2017.
Following this report, the supervisory body set up an external committee to investigate the complaint. Based on this investigation, the external committee concluded on 30 November 2018 that the complaint was valid and that the two remarks, made in quick succession, could be construed as sexually intimidating.
The external committee also issued four recommendations. These included offering the employee a safe working environment – without the presence of the Rector Magnificus in the vicinity of their workplace – and providing them with thorough and satisfactory guidance and support. The third recommendation was to examine the extent to which the University's confidential advisors are sufficiently equipped and facilitated to fulfil their role effectively. The fourth recommendation involved adjusting the complaints procedure to accommodate complaints about members of the Executive Board, in particular by making sure that the complaints committee consisted entirely of external members.
On 13 December 2018, the then Foundation Board decided to adopt the committee's conclusion and declared the complaint valid. The Board also adopted all the committee's recommendations.
A confidential complaints procedure must do justice to the complaint and the interests of all concerned, which was done in this case. In response to the recommendations of the complaints committee, the then supervisory body, the Foundation Board, interviewed the employee and the Rector Magnificus. The Foundation Board took stock of their findings, and based on this in their role as employer imposed a measure that it deemed appropriate: a warning, but not a public warning.
On 14 December 2018, the Board's conclusion and resulting disciplinary measure were communicated in writing to the Rector Magnificus by the then Foundation Board. The employee also received written confirmation of the procedure. With this, the complaint was settled in line with the applicable procedure.
In the context of ensuring a thorough follow-up process, interviews took place with the employee, who indicated on 8 January 2019 that they did not see a way to continue working at the University. The employee was then offered three options: another suitable position and a safe working environment in another building (in line with the committee's recommendation), a supported job-to-job track outside Radboud University, or termination of their employment contract. After consulting their lawyer, the employee chose the third option. The employee's employment contract ended on 1 November 2019. The employee was accompanied throughout by an external confidential advisor and a lawyer chosen by the employee and financed by the University. An internal confidential advisor was also involved in the case.
Since 2021, Radboud University has had its own Supervisory Board. In 2018, the Stichting Katholieke Universiteit was the employer of the members of the Executive Board.
In January 2022, the former employee contacted the secretarial office of the Supervisory Board. This led to telephone calls and in-person meetings. During these talks, the Chair of the Board indicated, among other things, that the former employee was free to explain what had happened, make public that they had filed a complaint about the Rector Magnificus and that it had been declared valid.
Following the contact sought by the former employee, the current Supervisory Board asked whether the former employee needed any support or aftercare, and offered assistance where necessary.