Dismissed state secretary takes ministry to court
## Long-lasting dispute over handling of protest letter
Background is the handling of the Ministry of Education regarding an open letter from professors on the conflict in the Near East. The professors had criticized in May the violent clearing of a Palestinian demonstrators' camp at the Free University of Berlin by the police. This in turn triggered criticism from Stark-Watzinger. In her opinion, "the terror of Hamas is being downplayed" in the letter.
Later, emails became known in which it was revealed that someone at a high level in the Ministry had requested an investigation into whether statements in the Berlin professors' protest letter were legally relevant and if the Ministry could consequently withdraw funding.
This approach caused protests. Stark-Watzinger then separated herself from State Secretary Doering and declared that the State Secretary responsible for higher education had instigated the underlying investigation order. Later, the Ministry stated: Doering had ordered a legal investigation of the protest letter. This order was understood in the specialist area of the Ministry to mean that both a legal investigation and an investigation of possible funding consequences should be carried out. Doering had stated that she had not intended to investigate the funding consequences.
Dispute over funding investigation
After an open letter from professors criticizing the violent clearing of a Palestinian demonstrators' camp at the Free University of Berlin by the police, the Ministry of Education's leadership is checking whether it can withdraw funding from them. As a result, a State Secretary is retiring and is now suing the Ministry.
The retired State Secretary Sabine Doering is going to court to obtain a statement permit and is challenging the public representation, according to which she had issued the controversial investigation order, as the spokesperson said. A decision is not to be expected in a hurry. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research, her former employer, did not grant Doering permission for public statements, according to a report by Tagesschau. The Ministry did not comment on the matter on request.
Background: The Ministry's handling of the protest letter
The background is the Ministry's handling of an open letter from university professors on the Near East conflict. The professors had criticized in May the violent clearing of a Palestinian demonstrators' camp at the Free University of Berlin by the police. This criticism in turn led to criticism from Stark-Watzinger. In her opinion, "the terror of Hamas is being downplayed" in the letter.
Later, it became known that someone at a high level in the Ministry had requested an investigation into whether statements in the Berlin professors' protest letter were legally relevant and if the Ministry could consequently withdraw funding.
This approach caused protests. Stark-Watzinger then separated herself from State Secretary Doering and declared that the State Secretary responsible for higher education had instigated the underlying investigation order. Later, the Ministry stated: Doering had ordered a legal investigation of the protest letter. This order was understood in the specialist area of the Ministry to mean that both a legal investigation and an investigation of possible funding consequences should be carried out. Doering had stated that she had not intended to investigate the funding consequences.
- Bettina Stark-Watzinger expressed her disagreement with the perceived downplaying of Hamas' terror in a letter criticizing the police's actions towards Palestinian demonstrators at the Free University of Berlin.
- The University of Berlin protest letter, signed by several professors, attracted the attention of the Federal Ministry of Education, leading to an investigation into potential legal and funding implications.
- Stark-Watzinger, the Federal Minister for Education and Research, distanced herself from State Secretary Doering, who was alleged to have initiated an investigation into the professors' protest letter, causing controversies in the realm of politics.
