Boaventura de Sousa Santos Resigns Amid Controversy: Accusations of 'Lynching' at CES

Boaventura de Sousa Santos Resigns from CES

The renowned sociologist Boaventura de Sousa Santos has resigned from the Center for Social Studies (CES) at the University of Coimbra, an institution he founded. This decision comes in the wake of allegations of harassment made against him by several women.

The news was first reported by Diário de Notícias, citing an email sent to CES members announcing his resignation. In this email, Santos accused the current leadership of the CES of orchestrating a public lynching against him.

Accusations of Bias and Lack of Fairness

In his communication, Santos expressed his distrust in the possibility of an impartial judgment at CES, stating, "I have no doubt that the aim of the CES leadership is (and has always been) to expel me." He claimed that the CES leadership is acting partially, violating democratic principles such as the presumption of innocence, and is politically motivated due to internal disputes within the institution.

Santos further criticized CES for wanting to publicly lynch him without evidence, stating, "I cannot condone this behavior from the leadership of the institution I created, which, dissatisfied with the independent commission's report, promotes lynching without proof and without any concern for the truth."

Background of the Controversy

The controversy erupted in April 2023 with the publication of the book Sexual Misconduct in Academia by British academic publisher Routledge. One chapter, authored by three researchers, detailed a pattern of sexual harassment at a higher education institution, which quickly pointed to CES and implicated Santos and fellow researcher Bruno Sena Martins.

Following the allegations, both Santos and Martins were suspended from their positions at CES, leading to the establishment of an independent commission to investigate the claims. Earlier this year, the commission released a final report confirming patterns of abuse and harassment within the institution, though it did not name specific individuals.

In September, Santos initiated a civil lawsuit against a group of women to protect his reputation and honor. In his recent email, he mentioned plans to file another lawsuit against additional women from the group.