30.
03.
2021.
Others
Others
Rector of the Łódź Film School, Milenia Fiedler has issued an official statement and appeal to journalists.
Dear Journalists,
Due to the emerging questions and doubts from the media regarding the actions taken by the school authorities and the lack of an unequivocal response to the lecturers, whom Ms. Anna Paliga described in her statement, I would like to emphasize that I have taken all possible actions provided for by law and have adopted procedures to fully and reliably explain the whole matter.
• From March 16, 2021, when Ms. Anna Paliga submitted her statement to the authorities of the School, the Anti-Mobbing and Anti-Discrimination Commission, whose task is to conduct an investigation, listen to the parties and witnesses and identify the full circumstances of the reported events, have been working on the case. The committee held several meetings, including a meeting with Ms Anna Paliga. Yesterday, the Commission heard explanations from two academics who have been charged with allegations. A calendar was also established with the dates of subsequent hearings.
The work of the Anti-mobbing and Anti-Discrimination Commission of the Film School in Łódź is specified in detail in the regulations.
• On the basis of the information received from the Chairperson of the Committee, the Plenipotentiary for the Prevention of Discrimination, I have instructed the Disciplinary Spokesman to start the case of two academic teachers in connection with the notification that they have committed an act constituting a disciplinary offence. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the legal situation of an academic teacher in the course of disciplinary proceedings is shaped by decisions of disciplinary entities independent of the Rector: the Disciplinary Commissioner and the Disciplinary Commission. Pursuant to the statutory provisions, the suspension of duties may only take place after the initiation of explanatory proceedings by the Disciplinary Commissioner . Thus, only the Commissioner's decision enables the Rector to take further formal steps. The procedures for the Disciplinary Commissioner and the Disciplinary Committee are specified in the Higher Education and Science Act (Journal of Laws 2018, item 1668, ACT of July 20, 2018, Section VII, Chapter 1, Articles 275-306).
• In writing, I called on the academic teachers indicated in Ms Anna Paliga's letter to explain the charges against them.
• I started cooperation with an external expert - a legal advisor, who supports the work of the Anti-mobbing and Anti-Discrimination Commission with specialist legal expertise in the field of anti-discrimination.
• I have instructed the Deans and Vice-Deans for Student Affairs of individual Departments to provide all students with special care and to provide them with a sense of security. They are in constant contact with them and monitor the situation on an ongoing basis, including their comfort and whether they are being pressurized. They intervene immediately if there is such a need. They can also decide to suspend classes or supervise them at any time.
• The school community is kept informed of ongoing activities and available methods of communicating disturbing events (past and present). Both I and the Plenipotentiary for Anti-Discrimination are in contact with people, including school graduates, who feel the need to make their own statements regarding the events described by Ms. Anna Paliga and other situations in which there was a violation of the sense of security, verbal or physical aggression, violation of the dignity of students. All students, as well as graduates, can - and many of them have already done so - send their statements to a specially created e-mail trust box: Bezpieczni@filmschool.lodz.pl Those who do not want or are not yet ready to disclose their personal data, can use a special, anonymous form available at the website: www.filmschool.lodz.pl/bezpieczni Only the chairperson of the Anti-mobbing and Anti-Discrimination Committee and the student and PhD student representatives who sit on the Committee have access to the submitted statements.
• Today, on March 30, 2021, a meeting was held with all students of our School to discuss the entire situation and the actions I take. I plan to organize a similar meeting next week also for interested School graduates. The safety of our current students is my priority and I can assure you that they can count on me.
At the same time, I appeal to your journalists for a credit of trust for the next two weeks.
In the statement of March 18, 2021, I publicly declared my will to fully explain the allegations formulated in the statement by Ms Anna Paliga. All subsequent submissions will receive the same reaction. I have presented a plan of actions that I intend to undertake in order to restore students' confidence and permanently eliminate mechanisms that favour the use of violent and dignity-violating practices in the education process. These activities are and will be consistently implemented. From the very beginning, we are transparent and we provide reliable information about the progress of work by issuing new messages. I respect and recognize the role of the media, whose duty is to monitor the course of such cases on behalf of the victims and society, and at the same time, I am asking you for patience and space to act.
Sincerely yours,
Milenia Fiedler, PhD
Rector of the Łódź Film School
Due to the emerging questions and doubts from the media regarding the actions taken by the school authorities and the lack of an unequivocal response to the lecturers, whom Ms. Anna Paliga described in her statement, I would like to emphasize that I have taken all possible actions provided for by law and have adopted procedures to fully and reliably explain the whole matter.
• From March 16, 2021, when Ms. Anna Paliga submitted her statement to the authorities of the School, the Anti-Mobbing and Anti-Discrimination Commission, whose task is to conduct an investigation, listen to the parties and witnesses and identify the full circumstances of the reported events, have been working on the case. The committee held several meetings, including a meeting with Ms Anna Paliga. Yesterday, the Commission heard explanations from two academics who have been charged with allegations. A calendar was also established with the dates of subsequent hearings.
The work of the Anti-mobbing and Anti-Discrimination Commission of the Film School in Łódź is specified in detail in the regulations.
• On the basis of the information received from the Chairperson of the Committee, the Plenipotentiary for the Prevention of Discrimination, I have instructed the Disciplinary Spokesman to start the case of two academic teachers in connection with the notification that they have committed an act constituting a disciplinary offence. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the legal situation of an academic teacher in the course of disciplinary proceedings is shaped by decisions of disciplinary entities independent of the Rector: the Disciplinary Commissioner and the Disciplinary Commission. Pursuant to the statutory provisions, the suspension of duties may only take place after the initiation of explanatory proceedings by the Disciplinary Commissioner . Thus, only the Commissioner's decision enables the Rector to take further formal steps. The procedures for the Disciplinary Commissioner and the Disciplinary Committee are specified in the Higher Education and Science Act (Journal of Laws 2018, item 1668, ACT of July 20, 2018, Section VII, Chapter 1, Articles 275-306).
• In writing, I called on the academic teachers indicated in Ms Anna Paliga's letter to explain the charges against them.
• I started cooperation with an external expert - a legal advisor, who supports the work of the Anti-mobbing and Anti-Discrimination Commission with specialist legal expertise in the field of anti-discrimination.
• I have instructed the Deans and Vice-Deans for Student Affairs of individual Departments to provide all students with special care and to provide them with a sense of security. They are in constant contact with them and monitor the situation on an ongoing basis, including their comfort and whether they are being pressurized. They intervene immediately if there is such a need. They can also decide to suspend classes or supervise them at any time.
• The school community is kept informed of ongoing activities and available methods of communicating disturbing events (past and present). Both I and the Plenipotentiary for Anti-Discrimination are in contact with people, including school graduates, who feel the need to make their own statements regarding the events described by Ms. Anna Paliga and other situations in which there was a violation of the sense of security, verbal or physical aggression, violation of the dignity of students. All students, as well as graduates, can - and many of them have already done so - send their statements to a specially created e-mail trust box: Bezpieczni@filmschool.lodz.pl Those who do not want or are not yet ready to disclose their personal data, can use a special, anonymous form available at the website: www.filmschool.lodz.pl/bezpieczni Only the chairperson of the Anti-mobbing and Anti-Discrimination Committee and the student and PhD student representatives who sit on the Committee have access to the submitted statements.
• Today, on March 30, 2021, a meeting was held with all students of our School to discuss the entire situation and the actions I take. I plan to organize a similar meeting next week also for interested School graduates. The safety of our current students is my priority and I can assure you that they can count on me.
At the same time, I appeal to your journalists for a credit of trust for the next two weeks.
In the statement of March 18, 2021, I publicly declared my will to fully explain the allegations formulated in the statement by Ms Anna Paliga. All subsequent submissions will receive the same reaction. I have presented a plan of actions that I intend to undertake in order to restore students' confidence and permanently eliminate mechanisms that favour the use of violent and dignity-violating practices in the education process. These activities are and will be consistently implemented. From the very beginning, we are transparent and we provide reliable information about the progress of work by issuing new messages. I respect and recognize the role of the media, whose duty is to monitor the course of such cases on behalf of the victims and society, and at the same time, I am asking you for patience and space to act.
Sincerely yours,
Milenia Fiedler, PhD
Rector of the Łódź Film School