new case of racism at the University of Lorraine, five students arrested

The University of Lorraine has filed a complaint with the public prosecutor of Metz after several reports of racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic remarks made by history students, on the Saulcy campus, in Metz, indicates Wednesday, December 8 France Bleu Lorraine Nord . Five students were arrested and interviewed by the police. The investigation is still ongoing to characterize the nature of the comments and identify all of their authors.

“These are harsh words: racist slurs, calls for action against a number of students, on the basis of religion or other racism, calls for violence, or crimes, against them”, confides Pierre Mutzenhardt, president of the University of Lorraine. Insults are verbal and can also be found in writing on social networks. For the moment, it is students from the Metz history training and research unit (UFR) who are targeted, but the investigation is continuing, specifies France Bleu. The Nancy campus is currently not affected according to management.

“We will launch an internal investigation, seize the disciplinary commission with sanctions which can range from a simple reprimand to the exclusion of the university, or the universities, for a given time”, said the president of the university, who condemned the racist insults in an email sent to some 400 history students. “There is a climate which is between astonishment and how to ensure that the courses are conducted in a peaceful manner.” In order not to expose the incriminated students, distance courses will be offered to them, “to have a certain appeasement.”

This is not the first time that the University of Lorraine has been marred by a case of racial hatred. In 2019, an internal investigation was opened for racist messages exchanged by sociology students, but the justice system had not followed up.