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Bahar Aslan defends himself against university

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The lecturer Bahar Aslan is defending herself legally against her expulsion from the police academy in Gelsenkirchen. According to her own statements, her lawyer filed a lawsuit against the revocation of her teaching activities with the Düsseldorf Administrative Court. Before the revocation, the person concerned must be given the opportunity to make a formal statement according to the law, he said on Saturday. "That didn't happen." The university did not speak to Aslan and did not give her the opportunity to comment. First, »Zeit online« had reported.

According to lawyer Patrick Heinemann, the university had revoked the teaching assignment already given to Aslan for the coming semester. The reason was a controversial tweet critical of the police by the lecturer. The lawsuit has a suspensive effect, so the revocation of teaching may not be carried out now, according to the lawyer. This state of limbo could provide a basis for a conversation between the university and Aslan. Aslan is ready for this. »The channels of communication are completely open.«

Aslan has a teaching assignment for »intercultural competences« at the University of Police and Public Administration (HSPV) Gelsenkirchen. Her tweet read: "My heart races when I or my friends get into a police check because all the brown dirt inside the security agencies scares us. This is not only my reality, but that of many people in this country."

As a result, she was accused of insulting the police across the board. After a shitstorm, the police academy announced that it would not extend the lecturer's contract. The university's aim is to provide prospective police officers with a "differentiated, unprejudiced view of democracy, tolerance and neutrality," the presidium explained on its website. Aslan is not suitable to continue to ensure this in a way that is appropriate for the university.

Aslan later acknowledged an "unfortunate choice of words" and said she was sorry if police officers who were doing their job in an exemplary manner felt addressed. Her lawyer said it gave the impression that Aslan was "deliberately misunderstood". Aslan exaggerated, but did not describe all police officers as "brown dirt".

evh/dpa